The Balrothery Active Travel Plan was officially launched today by the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Tom O’Leary, and David Storey, Director of Environment, Climate Action, Active Travel and Sport at Fingal County Council.
Shaped through local engagement with community businesses, visitors and elected members, the Plan addresses long standing concerns within the village, particularly around road safety, connectivity and accessibility. Issues highlighted include constrained and interrupted footpaths, accessibility at St. Oliver Plunkett’s National School, limited crossing facilities, visibility challenges at key junctions and restricted access to local businesses and Glebe Park from the R132. The Plan sets out a co-ordinated approach to resolving these challenges and strengthening how people move around Balrothery.
To respond to these challenges, the Plan proposes a series of targeted interventions that prioritise walking, wheeling and cycling, including the reallocation of road space to better support active travel, upgraded public spaces, improved bicycle parking and enhanced links to public transport.
Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Tom O’Leary, said: By focusing on safer streets, better connections and improved public spaces, this plan will make walking and cycling a more practical option for the Balrothery community. These changes will help people choose healthy, pleasant and sustainable travel options and move around the village more easily and with greater confidence.’’
David Storey, Director of Environment, Climate Action, Active Travel and Sport at Fingal County Council, said: “This Plan reflects Fingal County Council’s commitment to delivering inclusive, well designed active travel infrastructure that is suitable for people of all ages and abilities. The proposals for Balrothery aim to reduce traffic dominance, improve safety and support more sustainable travel choices.”
The project team is now designing a trial of the first project to come from the Plan. The trial will be implemented in Balrothery later this year, and the public will again be invited to make submissions and suggestions on the trial via the Fingal Consultation Portal. Once implemented, these improvements will make everyday journeys in Balrothery safer and more convenient for everyone.
For more information and to read the final Plan, visit:
https://www.fingal.ie/activetravel/balrothery
Following on from the sold out screening of Blue Road to celebrate International Women’s Day in March, we hope to see many of you at our April screening.
Our aim is to show interesting and entertaining films from around the world, and for April we will be screening Nine Queens, a classic Argentinian file from 2000 that was remastered and rereleased in 2025.
In this “deliciously cynical tale of swindling and double-cross”, we see the main character Marcos, an experienced con artist, witnessing Juan, a wannabe con artist failing to pull off a minor scam. Marcos rescues Juan by pretending to be a policeman and offers to make him a partner in a few other deals - including one involving the sale of a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps.
From this simple set up, the deal involving the stamps becomes more complex and as extra people become involved, true motivations and plans within plans are slowly revealed.
Nine Queens will be shown at St Patrick’s Church of Ireland church in The Square, Donabate (K36 Y521) on Thursday April 16th at 8pm.
Tickets go on sale on Thursday 9th April at 9am and cost €10 (€8 for students/OAPs)
For more information and to buy tickets, please visit lambaycinemaclub.com
Bring your own cup for free tea and coffee – we even supply the biscuits!
If you want to get in touch, email us at info@lambaycinemaclub.com
Recently, the Parish Hall & its equipment were used for part of the wonderful St Patrick’s Festival in Donabate. Congratulations to the hardworking committee on a great event. The photos tell the story from the Parish Hall.
Earlier in February the Crossroads Group held their AGM; their aim being to further more cultural, arts & youth activities and extend the amount of facilities in the community.
Training took place by over 20 people for the set up & take down of the Parish Hall’s New Riser Stage, thanks to all those volunteers. There were at least 2 people from many groups who came to train so that their group could sign out the stage for events.
Our community is growing and we are here if you need us in the Parish Office from 9:30am - 12:30 Monday - Friday. Please phone 01 8434574.
The commencement of works to construct the €10 million Ballymastone Recreational Hub, Donabate has been officially marked with a contract signing. Designed to meet the needs of the growing and diverse population, the project will provide high-quality recreational amenities, promote sports and physical activity, and serve as a lasting community asset for generations to come.
Phase two of the works at Ballymastone will consist of the construction of state-of-the-art sports pitches, dedicated athletics infrastructure and play/skatepark facilities. The Recreational Hub will form a major part of the community and follows on from the continued delivery of 1,200 homes at Balmoston on a 32-hectare site by Fingal County Council with Glenveagh as developers.
Present at the contract signing were Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Tom O’Leary, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, as well as representatives from the appointed contractors, Kilwex Civil, St Patrick’s GAA Club, St.Ita’s AFC, Lambay Sports & Athletics, local councillors, and members of Fingal County Council’s Parks and Landscapes Department.
Speaking following the contract signing, Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Tom O’Leary said: “I’m delighted to see works progressing on this €10 million recreational hub for Donabate. The Hub will provide families, young people, and residents of all ages with a space to gather, play, and thrive. I want to acknowledge the hard work and collaboration that has brought us to this point, and I look forward to seeing this new community asset take shape and serve our residents for many years to come.”
Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly said: “At Fingal County Council we recognise the importance of not just delivering housing but creating communities. The Ballymastone Recreational Hub will be a fantastic and essential community facility for the Donabate area and will greatly contribute to the lives of the new residents in the area. I want to thank our Parks and Landscapes Team, local councillors, and members of the local clubs and wider Donabate community for their contribution to the delivery of this project”.
Also included in the plans for the hub is a new entrance from the Donabate Distributor Road, a car park, bleacher stands, as well as electric vehicle charging spaces and bicycle parking.
The gods were smiling on Donabate on Saturday 14th March with blue skies and warm sun in time for the St Patricks Festival Parade, the first one in living memory I’m told. Active Age for All were delighted to take part and came equipped with a banner, placards and much enthusiasm. There was a great buzz in the village and the mood of both walkers and watchers was happy and excited to be part of a community coming together to have fun and celebrate our fabled saint.
The Active Age committee have been busy of late with some more activities to add to our programme in response to suggestions from the membership. These are:
*Give the Gym a Go: an 8 week course being held in the DPCC gym on Friday mornings from 11 to 12 with Gym instructor Ross. It is geared towards instructing participants on how to use the gym equipment safely and effectively.
*Intergenerational project, a 4 week pilot scheme with AAfA and the Transition Year students from Donabate Community School. A full report on this will be in the next issue.
*Cards, games, crafts & chat is an informal, relaxed session every Thursday from 2 to 4pm in the Portacabin in the community centre where members can play a variety of games, such as, cards, scrabble or chess while the crafters sew, knit and crochet, all whilst enjoying a tea/ coffee, biscuits and a chat.
*Computer course: a laptop housekeeping course which will be coming on stream in the near future, more news on this at a later date.
On Saturday 14th March, Donabate St. Patrick’s Festival Committee organised Donabate’s first St. Patrick’s parade and festival. A wonderful community day was had by all and the sun shone! Gerry & the Plonkers, the Men’s Shed music group, were honoured to be the closing act in a day full of fun and entertainment, and a few shedders volunteered to help out with stewarding the parade. Earlier last month, the Plonkers played at a celebration of International Women’s Day in Parlickstown House.
January and February’s exceptionally wet weather played havoc with preparations for this year’s growing season at our plots in Turvey Allotments and members were playing catch-up last month. So, hopefully they have managed to make up for lost time.
Recently a few members had a guided tour of Leinster House with local T.D., Duncan Smith, arranged by local councillor Corina Johnston. We’d like to thank Duncan’s secretary, Nora, for her help in making it a wonderful day out. Now with summer approaching, and better weather we hope, the Men’s Shed will be looking at arranging more outings. A visit to the Shackleton Museum in Athy is on the cards.
Replay Instruments Project is an innovative initiative of Fingal County Council, Music Generation and Crosscare to rejuvenate older musical instruments and accessories for donation to schools and other community groups. Through the Irish Men’s Sheds Association’s Liaison, Pat Duff, the Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed is participating in this project. We have already taken in a guitar for restoration and hopefully it will be ready soon for donation to a local school.
As ever, our usual weekly exercise classes, croquet at Newbridge House, music practices and our Thursday get-togethers continue. So if you or someone you know would like to join us, please call Jim on 086-3694316.
Corina Johnston, Labour Party Local Area Representative Donabate and Portrane has revealed that the opening of the anticipated Broadmeadow Way Greenway project has been delayed until 2028.
Councillor Johnston said, “Over the last few months I have received a number of queries in respect of the opening of the Broadmeadow Way Greenway. I have been raising this matter with FCC since elected and received the below reply at last week’s council meeting to my question raised on this project.”
The query from Councillor Johnston reads, “To ask the Chief Executive to provide a progress report on the Broadmeadow Way Greenway project to confirm the cost to date and if this project will be delivered on time and within budget?”
The reply from Fingal County council reads, “Progress on the detailed design phases of the other elements of this project is continuing. Engagement with Irish Rail and with the National Transport Authority is ongoing for the causeway works.
Construction of this environmentally and technically challenging project has been divided into different works packages which will be delivered in stages:
Construction of the Broadmeadow Estuary Bridge took place in 2024. Works are complete.
The tender for the construction of the greenway along the causeway has been issued. It is expected that construction of the Northern Causeway will not be completed until 2027.
Construction of the greenway along the Southern Causeways will commence during the summer months of 2026.
Construction of the Donabate landward works and the Malahide landward works will take place during 2026 and 2027. A stage 1 Tender assessment has been completed in advance of a 2-stage tender process to establish a framework for works contractors for the various landward works contracts. The landward elements of the Broadmeadow Way in Donabate i.e. from Newbridge Demesne, through Kilcrea lands to the east side of Corballis railway underpass will be delivered through this framework.
Due to the seasonal constraints of working within the estuary, along with the technical challenges of building on the Northern Causeway, it is expected that the opening of the Broadmeadow Way will be in early 2028.
A lot of the scheme is yet to be constructed with some tenders underway and more to follow. The tender costs for the project are not yet available. FCC will require gateway approval from the National Transport Authority prior to construction contracts being put in place.
Johnston concluded;”While recognising the many technical challenges and multiple stakeholders involved in this projected I am very disappointed that this project has been delayed further until 2028. I will continue to pursue this matter and will keep you informed of developments.”
Aer Lingus Lawn Bowls Club is a vibrant, friendly club located in the ALSAA sports complex K67YV06.
We have recently acquired a new synthetic Greengauge mat. This has enhanced our club immensely and we now possess one of the best bowling greens in the country.
In 2025 we were winners of an ILB Vets team. We also had finalists in the ILB doubles and triples championship competitions. We cater for men and women and we play in a mixed league.
If you are interested in joining our club, we offer coaching sessions, social and league games. We participate in ILB winter and summer leagues as well as internal club competitions.
We will have an open day on May 3rd 11am until 3pm.
If you would like to have a trial session, please contact us on aerlinguslawnbowlsclub@hotmail.com or call Sandra McCarthy on 086-3114540
By Jon Kavanagh
The appearance of the new Cultural Quarter on the Swords Skyline reminds us how much the town has evolved over the years. Before the bypass was constructed in the eighties, the main street formed part of the Dublin/Belfast Road. The street was much wider then, as heavy-duty trucks and buses crawled through with all the pace of a tortoise on Valium. Small locally owned businesses including: a couple of butchers, a hardware and drapery, a television repair and rental and several corner shops lined the town.
here was an old-style garage (not a cappuccino or croissant to be seen) in the heart of the town; with just a couple of fuel pumps mounted on the footpath and a rustic workshop to mend punctures and do repairs. Long queues formed there during the oil crisis (sounds eerily familiar) in the seventies. The proprietor operator a strict ‘regular customers only’ policy as he dispatched unfamiliar faces without ceremony.
Parking was a free for all; drivers played dodgem, as they battled their way into any available space. In pre NCT days cars often carried their own body weight in rust; exhaust pipes held up with wire, boots kept in place by a length of rope, and tires as bald as Kojak were not an uncommon sight. The castle lay derelict and unappreciated, as pigs foraged in its grounds. Whilst the bypass brought traffic relief, it was not without its teething problems. Articulated trucks jacked knifed and turned over all too often on the Pinnock Hill Roundabout. A tipper truck struck and brought down a pedestrian fly over bridge. Thankfully, there was no one on the bridge at the time. A hapless man from a rural hinterland in Fingal, encountered a roundabout for the first time whilst astride his Honda 50. Like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights, he panicked and propelled his machine anticlockwise against the traffic. In a daring deed worthy of a Hollywood stuntman, he managed to crash land onto the centre, with seconds to spare before disaster struck.
Time has moved on but despite the multiplicity of changes, Swords maintains its congenial atmosphere. A place where friends, neighbours and acquaintances still find time to stop for a chat during their busy day.
The one-day event will see interviews, workshops and family-friendly events across the town of Rush with Catherine Ryan Howard, Andrea Mara, Sinéad Gleeson, Anna Carey, Eamon Carr and more
Irish literary titan John Banville will be appearing in conversation with Kevin Curran (author of YOUTH, Beatsploitation) at the brand new literary festival, which takes place in the North County Dublin seaside town of Rush on April 25th 2026. As author of modern classics including The Sea, The Book of Evidence, his series of hugely successful crime novels under his Benjamin Black pen name, as well as Christine Falls - which is this year’s One Dublin One Book choice - it promises to be a varied interview examining one of the most fascinating writers of our time. Tickets are €15 and are on sale now via rushfestivalofwriting.com.
Fans of crime fiction will be delighted to see a double bill of bestselling novelists Catherine Ryan Howard (56 Days, Burn After Reading) and Andrea Mara (All Her Fault, It Should Have Been You) on the programme. They will be discussing their work, including the recent TV adaptations of 56 Days and All Her Fault, in conversation with Sinéad Cuddihy of Tired Mammy Book Club.
Alongside these two evening events taking place in the 140-capacity Millbank Theatre, the Rush Festival of Writing programme will see several free-to-attend events.
Irish cultural luminary Eamon Carr will be sharing stories from his life in writing - from his Tara Telephone performance poetry days, to his decades in iconic band Horslips and his career as a sports and showbiz journalist - in conversation with music writer Pat Carty, including some of the incredible tales from his journalism days recounted in his recently-published book Pure Gold: Memorable Conversations with Remarkable People Sinéad Gleeson (Hagstone, Constellations) and Anna Carey (Our Song, Love Scene) will also be dispensing their own pearls of wisdom in what promises to be an illuminating conversation for aspiring authors.
The youngest members of the family won’t be left out of this year’s programme. For the 5+ age group, former Laureate na nÓg Niamh Sharkey (The Ravenous Beast, I’m a Happy Hugglewug) will be hosting a workshop at Rush Library based on her latest picture book, Penguin TV. Inspired by Dublin Zoo’s penguin cam, Niamh will host a reading and an interactive giant doodle based on the book, as well as a post-workshop signing - so be sure to bring all your books along!
Also taking place at Rush Library, children’s author, illustrator and comic creator Alan Nolan (The Grand Central Cinema Club, the Sam Hannigan series) will run a ‘Design Your Own Superhero’ workshop for ages 8-12, where he’ll talk about his favourite comics and superheroes from his childhood (as well as modern-day comic superstars like Dog Man, Bunny Vs Monkey and The Investigators). He’ll also show attendees how to draw one of his own creations and lots more. These events are free but space is limited, so booking is essential.
You can stay updated on programme and ticketing details, as well as the running order, on Instagram and via www.rushfestivalofwriting.com