Tidy Towns Malahide will be holding a free talk on Biodiversity in Malahide. Highlights of three recent reports will be presented that will work to protect the current environment and enhance the natural habitats in Malahide. The reports are: (1) The most recent survey of Caves Marsh, one of Europe’s last remaining raised bogs (2) Biodiversity Plan for Malahide and (3) Rewilding Plan for Malahide - an evolving action plan for suburban biodiversity. The Talk will be held in Malahide Library on April 11th at 6.30 pm. See you there – we hope! Oh and do remember; We meet every Saturday at 10.30am at the front entrance to the Malahide Train Station. Newcomers always welcome!
This is only the second time in Ireland’s history that an Irish fighter has qualified for the summer games, and we are delighted to see it’s our friend Jack Whooly from South Dublin Taekwondo. Robert Taaffe (head coach at SDTKD) and Stuart head coach at Junsa have been close friends for many years and have collaborated on many projects, from player development, coaches education, Olympic strategies to grassroots Taekwondo training.
We would like to wish our friends Jack and Robert every success at the Olympic Games. Meanwhile at home in Lusk our students have been competing and training to emulate the success of Jack and hone their Taekwondo skills to make it all the way. But Junsa offers more than just Olympic Taekwondo training. We want our students to be disciplined, motivated, hardworking, respectful but most of all kind.
Here’s a few snapshots of our young athletes/ students in action.
The recent Lusk 4 mile was a huge success. Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this and to the local community and sponsors for their support. Well done to our athletes that have competed in the National Juvenile Championships and good luck to those still to compete. We can now look forward to the outdoor season that is upon us and a welcome return to training on bright mornings and evenings. Best of luck to the large group from the club that have entered the Dublin 10k in Garristown on 7th April. We will be starting Monday night track sessions at ALSAA in April and all club members are welcome.
Our Weekly Lotto can be bought at .clubfunder.com/Clubs/Round Towers Lusk/lotto. The Lotto Draw takes place in the Club - Thursday @9pm. The Club would like to invite new members to play GAA – Please Get in Touch! Great Fun to be had! Check our website roundtowerslusk.ie Parents and Mentors – We need your help and support! We welcome your comments, ideas and or support that you can offer. Please get in touch through our online networks, club website and or Facebook. The Round Towers Lusk All Stars Programme is an initiative for children who ordinarily could not take part in team sports, due to having a disability or with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Our main objective is to assist the children with ball skills, exercise, fun and to promote the ethos of inclusion in our club and community. Please come along any Friday and give it a try or should you have any queries in relation to this, please contact Joe Sullivan on 085 8562381. Our U13 Girls welcomed St. Peters, Man O War GFC & Fingal Ravens GFC to Thomas Ashe Park for a series of challenge matches in recent months. There was an abundance of talent on display amongst all the girls. Thank you to all the girls and their mentors from all of the clubs for joining us. Regarding Adult Men’s Football: our retired members and friends evening in January of 2024 was a great success. We also held a celebration of hurling within the club. We unveiled our hurling Roll of Honour board stretching back as far as 1910. A huge thanks to the many contributors who made the event possible. A Lusk GAA Medal of 1915 has been discovered! A member came into possession of a 9ct gold medal some time ago which came to him in a batch of gold scrap from a jewellery trade customer. It is a 9ct gold medal won by Lusk GAA in 1915. It is a very beautiful medal and we do not like to see items like this scrapped as they are part of the GAA heritage.
In February a group of us had a great night when we attended the play in the Millbank Theatre, The Man Who Came To Dinner, brilliantly directed by Bernard Tonge. On International women’s day, 8 March, was hosted in the Cultural Centre, Jacinta Connolly held a wonderful workshop on “The Art of Spring flowers” We learned how to make Hanging artificial door reads, Daffodil and spring flower displays in lovely bowls and baskets. It was a very enjoyable morning spent together with the Women from Lusk Ladies Shed, and thanks for all the support we received from Cormac McDonagh Community Officer Fingal County Council. Grateful appreciation to 4 great local women who gave their valuable time in their presentations in the afternoon. A big thank you to our IWD speakers on the day, Pauline Compton, Niamh Fay, Sharyn Hayden and Funmi Idowu. All powerful voices from community, sport, enterprise and the world of digital. Sharyn Hayden, Skinny Batch, “Innovating Enterprise”, Funmi Idowu, RCCG, “Embracing Digital Women” -Niamh Fay - Phoenix of Ballyboughal Boxing Club, Irish Boxing Sports Champion, “Championing Sport” Congratulations to the members of our drama group who performed a very funny sketch, written by Anne Smithers on Grianan on Sunday 7th March. The cast was Angela O’Brien, Deirdre Wilson, Mary Hickey, Mary Bermingham and Maria Baird. They were all brilliant. The audience reaction was great and the Judges’ comments were very positive. Guild meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month at 3:30pm in the Lusk Scouts Den. Everybody is welcome.
The Lusk Action Group (LAG) held its Annual General Meeting on the 4th of March 2024, addressing various crucial matters. The agenda included selecting a new committee comprised of Chairlady Lynne Baker, Secretary Sarah McGealy, and Treasurer Alex Voronov. Our thanks to Former Chairman Colin Browne, who moved on to other functions in the community. Presenting on the day was a financial report, and the group acknowledged the passing of founding member Knel Deeb by planting a tree and installing a bench in his honour. Lusk Action Group reviewed actions from the previous year, outlining current plans and emphasizing the Lusk Vision 2030 and Town Regeneration plans. In the past year, LAG actively engaged with An Garda Siochana and Foroige to address community concerns, collaborated with McGarrell Reilly on issues related to the Lusk Village Quarter development, and continued discussions with FCC about open spaces handovers around the village. Notable initiatives by the group involved: The organizing of the Lusk Summer Festival, managing Christmas events, street lighting and Christmas carols, opposing the removal of allocated Creche facilities by the developers, appealing mobile mast placements in the village, addressing power cuts with the ESB. At the AGM, community members queried Lusk Village Quarters phasing and restaurant construction and the developer Mcgarrell Reilly’s plan of prioritizing housing over facilities. Suzanne Young briefed on Go Ahead meeting discussions around bus capacity, no-shows, and creating a QR code system for quick reporting. Colin and Lynne’s efforts in the Lusk Action Group were commended. Cathal suggested activities funding, awaiting FCC’s response. FCC’s land acquisition at Blakes Cross for traffic solutions was noted. Flooding remained problematic in the community. Looking ahead, LAG plans to campaign for the preservation of the green space in Orlynn Park, which FCC has earmarked for development, collaborate with the Lusk 2030 Vision Plans and Town Regeneration Committees, organize the Lusk Summer Festival 2024, continue discussions with authorities on town issues, and advocate for necessary facilities before further development. The group remains committed to community engagement and ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of life in Lusk. We are still looking for new members.
Many parents cannot access childcare facilities in Lusk. In many cases, families are on waiting lists of up to 12 months or longer. More capacity is needed. Parents should not have to travel significant distances to find a creche or afterschool facility for their child. Childcare costs are a significant financial commitment for families. I’ve met parents all over Lusk that are paying significantly more in childcare costs than in other parts of the country. While recent investment in Core Funding (paid directly to childcare providers) and the increase in the National Childcare Scheme subsidy rate is welcome, fees remain far too high. From speaking with childcare providers in Fingal, it is clear there’s a recruitment and retention crisis in this sector. Many owners say the struggle to find staff has impacted on the quality of service they can provide. Recent surveys published show that childcare staff are actively looking to change careers, citing low pay (and having to work unpaid overtime). What I’ve done so far to help parents in Lusk:
Donabate Basketball Club has been in existence for over 12 years and has been competing in the Dublin Leagues for both Boys & Girls since 2015. While there is a long history of basketball being played in the Donabate and Portrane area the Club has really grown its playing population in recent years from those living in Donabate and the wider North Dublin community. As the local population continues to increase, we are committed to provide a platform to introduce young children to the exciting game of basketball. The Club is run by a dedicated group of volunteers and currently has 3 teams completing in Dublin Leagues, Boys U14 and U15 and Girls U17. It also has a vibrant Academy Section for Girls and Boys. All activities take place in Donabate & Portrane Community Centre who provide great support for the Club. We rely on our very generous local sponsors to help with the running of the club and sponsoring club gear.
The Club has enjoyed great success in winning a couple of leagues including Boys U17 League in 2022 (100% winning record) and this year winning the U14 Div 2 League with a fantastic record of 13 Wins & 1 defeat. Key Contacts: - Paul Mitchell – Club Secretary, Coach U15 Boys and U17 Girls -Con O’Leary & Alan Proctor – Coaches of Under 14 Boys -Marie O’Leary – Child Protection Officer - Frank Koenicke & Serge Nyange – Boys Academy Coaches - Sophie Mitchell & Katelyn Byrne– Girls Academy Coaches.
We have seen several previous and current players achieve great success in the game, including some current players who have been selected on Basketball Ireland East Region Academy. A number of ex-players are enjoying great success with other clubs, but we take pride in having developed them through the academy and teams. The Club has also helped the local secondary school Donabate Community College achieve notable success. We would urge any people living locally to contact us if they have interest in getting their children involved or volunteering to help with coaching. Contact can be made in DPCC where there are information boards that have relevant contact information.
The LSA Little Athletics group, with their parents and coaches, had a great time competing at the all-Dublin Spraoi Games at the National Indoor Arena (NIA) in Abbosttown at the end of February. Sproai Games is a new concept in Dublin Athletics competition for children aged 7 to 10. It gives age appropriate competition experience for younger athletes in a move away from individual competition. It is a team-based competition where each athlete participates in a run, jump, and throw event, just like the events they have been practicing in training. LSA was one of seventeen Dublin Athletics clubs participating in the world class venue that is the NIA. We had four LSA teams competing in an event run entirely by volunteers from all the clubs. Team scores were displayed on the Big Screen - we could see how every athlete’s contribution helped the team. Our athletes were very excited to see Irish Olympian and former European Champion David Gillick volunteering as an official at the Throws event. David holds the Irish 400m records, both indoors and outdoors - his National Record outdoors is 44.77 seconds! Our athletes had lots of fun and really enjoyed the excitement of competing on a real indoor track in this amazing venue. We were very proud of our athletes and how well they behaved during the competition. We are very grateful to the parents and coaches for their efforts on the day. We always welcome new members and volunteers. If you would like to get involved please contact us - details below: Adult memberships queries please contact lambaysportsathletics@gmail.com -Little Athletics and Juvenile athletes (from age 7-18) please contact lsajuvenilereg@gmail.com Keep up to date on all the events by following LSA on our social media pages!
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lambaysportsacademy
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lsadonabateportrane/
Twitter https://twitter.com/LSARunning Please also visit our website
https://lambaysportsathletics.ie/
Donabate Parish Hall has a range of weekly classes and activities for adults and children including Cards, Irish Dancing, Leithinis CCÉ Traditional Music, Drama, Senior Citizens etc. It also has a programme to cater for special events and exhibitions for adults and children, for example Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society Productions and Through the Lens Photography Exhibitions. . Also, the successful Tradfest and Tayleur events took place January & February.
This year they have added the Men’s Shed monthly music events in January, February and March with Gerry & the Plonkers. In the Autumn they will play on Wednesdays from 12 - 2pm on 16thOctober, 13th November and 4th December for older adults in the community. Tea & sambos are provided by the Parish Hall Committee
During the summer to cater for young people, they have added some selected camps of a creative and cultural nature - educational and entertaining for children from 4½ to 12 years.
Bricks 4 Kidz Lego Summer Camp: Tuesday 6th - Friday 9th August Mornings
4 days to explore the world of STEM through building with LEGO Bricks. Specially designed models and activities introduce children to concepts of engineering, architecture, science, and so much more! Bricks 4 Kidz Fingal are delivering summer camps for boys and girls. Book on website bricks4kidz.ie or Call or Text Alison on 086 1709394.
Designer Minds STEAM Camp: Monday 19th - Friday 23rd August Mornings
5 days jammed with science experiments, robots, LEGO, coding, art and more! Designer Minds for little engineers who like to tinker and build and for tech kids who love gaming, computers and robots. Check out the website designerminds.ie and fill out a form or contact their office directly, 10:00am - 4pm, Tuesday to Friday. Call or Text Donal or Aoife on 087 631 0411.
The two camps above are running in the mornings. So, if you have a suitable camp in mind that could be run during the afternoon on one or other or both of these weeks, contact the Parish Office immediately. There is still some availability for weekly classes and activities in the Parish Hall; so again, contact the Parish Office on 01 8434574.We wish to thank all our users for their support during the year.
