I’m running in the local elections because I believe we are at a crucial juncture for the peninsula. Right now, there is a dwindling number of strategic sites for much needed amenities (e.g. for another school, childcare facilities and a youth and cultural centre). Instead, we are focusing on building thousands of houses without including the necessary supporting infrastructure. I grew up in Portrane and live in Donabate. I want our peninsula to be a place where friends can move back and live (but presently, that decision is difficult because of a lack of childcare options or inadequate garda presence). Therefore, if I’m fortunate enough to receive your support I will focus on progressing these areas:
Better Local Amenities One of my core ambitions is to have better amenities that cater for people of all ages (including our youth clubs, drama society and Men’s shed). Better local amenities would benefit all residents and would only involve a relatively modest capital investment from our well-resourced local authority.

Better Development Donabate needs more balanced development, and if elected I will fight hard as a councillor for better ways to build our community. In most European countries, community infrastructure is built before or in tandem with the building of residential units. The building of amenities should be included in the initial phase of development. Large scale housing developments must include retail, dining, and childcare facilities.

Better Connectivity My priority is to do more to improve our roads, footpaths, and green spaces to ensure they are protected and maintained to a highest standard. The capability within Fingal County Council is there and I will push hard to put in place an ambitious programme of work to upgrade some of our roads and footpaths (Turvey road, the Portrane cliff walk and the road network around Corballis are just some examples). If I have your support, I will work hard for you and bring new energy to Fingal County Council.

Over the last few years, we have done a variety of walks about 6 a year. Ranging from Coastal Walks on our own Cliff Walk Donabate - Corballis the Burrow and back via Portrane Hospital to Forest Walks - in Virginia Co. Cavan to Canal Walks - along the Boyne to Beach Walks - Balbriggan to Laytown. In January we did a Greenway Walk Carlingford to Omeath In February we had to cancel the Lighthouse Walk to Poolbeg due to bad weather and in March a few of us braved an early start and mixed weather to explore Glendalough Holy & Historic Walks. We will do one of those shorter walks in Glendalough in the Autumn & make a day of it eating in the hotel. Last month in April we took the train to and from Leitrim and did part of the Blue Way the tale is in the next episode! It is hoped in May to do the Poolbeg Walk again as it’s a great walk, but the weather has not always been perfect, so third time here’s hoping in the blistering sunshine! Contact Carolyn:087 9284307 or Des:087 7846813 if interested.

The Big Busk at Dusk saw Peninsula Voices, take to the streets of Donabate in aid of Focus Ireland. The community singers busked in the town centre, entertaining shoppers on a Friday evening, playing a roof lifting medley of songs that everyone could sing along with raising vital funds for Focus Ireland and help to really fight homelessness in Ireland. The singers meet every Wednesday night in Donabate Community Centre, and everyone is welcome to join.

The 2nd Boules Court for Newbridge should be underway, if the rain ever stops! at the Recreation Hub for Older People next to the main house. This area at present has two Croquet Lawns & one Boules Court the addition of the 2nd Boules Court at this location will enable the game to develop, grow and flourish, in time. The launch of the 1st Court was just two years ago in March 2022 & soon after FCC set about planning for a 2nd Court to keep developing the game.They also announced at the same time recently, that they hope to provide more Courts near the car park; some courts of an International Standard for regular Boules & some courts for Bocce (a form of Boules - it is Boccia if it is played Indoors). Boccia is a sport at the Para-Olympics for 40years this year. We commend FCC on the vision to install - these types of activities, which cross all age & gender boundaries & abilities. They are also great for people you are not very physically sporty or at least not now! While being very strategic & skillful to play, they can be recreational or competitive games. The impetus came from Paul Smyth, Senior Parks Superintendent & his great team of Aileen O ‘Connor, Lourda Darcy & Shane Sutton for the installing of the Boules Courts in various locations in Fingal over the last number of years. May we take this opportunity to wish Paul Smyth all the best in his new phase (retirement!) and thank him for these important initiatives.Thank you to all our local councillors & officials and the Donabate Portrane Liaison Group who have greatly supported this initiative to bring more recreational sports & activities to the community. We would also like to thank Tom Donnellan for his help and support over the years advice and training who is a former Roscommon Gaelic Football star! Take heed all you top athletes there is always a sport for you at each stage in life!

At Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed, we pride ourselves on our wide range of activities. Most weeks we have an exercise class, croquet at Newbridge, a music jam session and a tea and chat get-together. Our plots at Turvey Allotments provide an outlet for those interested in outdoor work. At this time of year, it is a hive of activity, but there is always time to enjoy a tea-beak and sociable chat. Our music group, Gerry and the Plonkers, has played a number of community concerts including the recent launch of the Memory Café at the Community Centre, a wonderful initiative providing a safe supported space for people with memory illness. Watch out for a full report on this next month. Recently, members completed a six-week healthy eating course, sponsored by the HSE and ably led by Susanne, in which we learned to prepare and cook healthy and tasty meals. We even got to enjoy the products of our efforts at the end of each class. It is hoped that we can run another course later in the year. In addition to all of this, we have occasional outings to places of interest. Over the past year, we have visited Áras an Uachtaráin, Leinster House, the GPO Museum, the Irish Military Museum, Christchurch Cathedral and Newbridge House. So, if you or someone you know would like to join us in some of our current activities or even introduce a new one, please contact our PRO, Jim, on 086- 3694316. We are always open and welcoming to new members.

Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society is delighted to announce the upcoming performance of “Dancing at Lughnasa” from the 16th to the 19th May 2024 in Donabate Parish Hall. “Dancing at Lughnasa” is Brian Friel’s award-winning semi-autobiographical two-act play set in the fictional Irish village of Ballybeg, Donegal, in 1936. The story is told from the perspective of Michael who recalls one summer of his childhood he spent with the five unmarried women who raised him: his mother and his aunts. Kate is a schoolteacher; Agnes and Rose knit gloves and help run the house along with Maggie and Christine who have no income. Their spare existence is interrupted by brief, colourful bursts of music from their first wireless Marconi radio. This is also the summer the women’s brother, Jack, returns from Uganda, where he worked as a missionary in a leper colony for 25 years. He suffers from malaria and has trouble remembering things. Meanwhile, Gerry, Michael’s father, a charming but unreliable Welsh wanderer, appears for the first time in his son’s life. The play portrays the strength and bravery of the sisters who wildly dance, fight, and battle to survive as they foresee the sadness and economic privations under which they will suffer as all hope’s fade. On stage you will see some familiar faces but also first-time actors with the society, while behind the scenes a production team will ensure that every other aspect is looked after when bringing the play to life on stage. “It’s fantastic to be working with this brilliant and enthusiastic cast and crew. We are doing our best to meet the challenge of building a set in a few hours, to put on what, we hope, will be our own special presentation of this great and much-loved play” said Paul Keogh from the construction and directing team. Tickets cost €12 and can be purchased on TicketSource or at the door. DPDS also extends an invitation to all people in the community to become a patron of the society and support the local arts. The annual fee is €60 per person and it includes two tickets for their biannual productions along with light refreshments. For info contact: donabateportrane.drama@gmail.com

Dear Resident,

At very short notice I contested the local elections in 2019 and narrowly missed out for the final seat. Although unelected I decided to continue to work and represent the people of the peninsula. During the past five years I’ve been to the forefront in raising and campaigning on issues such as sustainable development, public transport, creche facilities, schools, safer communities, youth facilities, infrastructure in tandem with development and coastal erosion. I am pleased that on foot of our campaigns we have delivered a number of projects in 2023 which we proposed and pursued to the end including:-Ballymastone car park permanent resurfacing and public lighting.

-New entrance into Newbridge Park, Hearse Road. -First bus shelter in Donabate Village.-Resurfacing of Donabate Graveyard Car Park and painting of walls. -Connectivity between some bus and rail morning and evening services.-proposed that the Turvey Avenue Enhancement project be carried out as a single project rather than the original intention of a parallel project with Portrane Road scheme (long delay). -outdoor shower Donabate Beach

The provision of Teen Hangout spaces is now Council policy following my proposal to the Council’s ‘Space for Play’ policy consultation which includes hangout/meeting places for teenagers with such facilities as swings, climbing and zip lines as well as spaces with free Wi-Fi and shelter. We initiated the campaign for a multifunctional Arts, Youth and Cultural Centre which is provided for in the LAP and which is being resisted by FCC. However the objective of 4000 houses is being delivered upon. The campaign by the Crossroads group is gaining momentum and we will pursue this to a successful conclusion. I am keenly aware that while the area will grow in population to over 20,000 in the coming years the necessary infrastructure, road upgrades, school and childcare places and services are not coming quick enough to meet the needs of the people. I can be even more effective on behalf of our growing community if elected as a Councillor in the upcoming elections and would appreciate your number 1 vote.
Corina Johnston - Labour Party Local Area Representative Donabate and Portrane

Hosting the Leinster Rugby Women’s Finals Day was a huge undertaking for our club. A lot of work went on behind the scenes to ensure that the day would be the success that it deserved to be, showcasing women in sport and what community clubs do best.

The event would not have been possible without the support and assistance of Cllr Tony Murphy who helped secure funding from Fingal County Council and Our Balbriggan for the event. Thanks also to Breffni O’Rourke of Our Balbriggan and Gerry Reardon of Fingal Sports Office for their support of this major event. The day epitomised that when clubs and community come together, we can achieve great things. Thank you to our neighbours North County Cricket Club for the use of their dressing rooms to help facilitate the 12 teams taking part in Leinster Women’s Finals Day. North County Cricket Club could not have been more helpful to us. Thank you to Marc Hynes at Java the Hut Artisan Coffee Roasters who went to great effort to set us up with an outdoor coffee dock. Marc and his team were also busy preparing for the London Coffee Festival, which they attended at the weekend. Well done Marc and the Java the Hut team. Thank you to Donogh McGowan at Gerrard L.McGowan Solicitors who put in a lot of hours in helping us to secure the one day licence for the bar. A big thank you as well to the Moriarty family and The Bracken Court Hotel for their support of the Leinster Rugby Women’s Finals Day at Balbriggan RFC. The Moriarty family and the Bracken Court Hotel have helped Balbriggan RFC as well as other clubs in our Community for many years. Without their support, Sunday’s festival of rugby at Balbriggan RFC could not have happened. They pulled out all the stops ensuring that the bar on the day and catering for all the teams was run in the most professional manner. Thank you from everyone at Balbriggan RFC. All of these things coming together helped the day run smoothly and successfully.

Balbriggan Roadrunners will be hosting the 9th annual event as part of the Balbriggan Summerfest 2024. The 5km run/walk is open to participants of all abilities and takes place along a scenic coastal route. This is known for fine after-food refreshments & hospitality. Individual €15 Family of 4: €40 (children u16) Group entry 20 or more €12.50 per person Contact Support@myrunresults.com All participants will receive a finishers medal Children should not be on scooters, roller skates or bikes when participating in the event.

I got my first Guide Dog Frank in 1985, the branch was founded about 1987. Our children went to St Molaga’s N.S. Balbriggan. My son’s teacher Mrs Hassett asked me to come into the school to chat to the children about what it means to have a Guide Dog. I had only done one school talk before that, and it was in St. Georges N.S. Balbriggan. I have done many talks in the intervening years. I believe they have achieved a few good things; In my hometown of Balbriggan the now adults speak very comfortably to me and easily approach and help me in a shop or on the street when it’s needed.

Another part of my life was my involvement in the Irish Rail Disability Users’ group where several of us with different disabilities were asked for suggestions to improve things on the railway system. I had two things I wanted, and one was to have all train stops announced on the trains. The other was to encourage Irish Rail to form a Customer Service desk at their two main stations, Heuston and Connolly. This is now available throughout the network for everybody but it is not perfect by any means. For myself with a Guide Dog I go to my local station Balbriggan and I ask the staff there to ring Connolly and ask a member of the Customer Service team there to meet me as I am transferring to the Sligo train that also goes out of Connolly. Recently I did this and as I got off on the platform in Connolly I heard, “It is Tom I can’t believe it” he was a member of the Customer Service team, he told me that last time he met me he was 8 years of age, and he was in Stamullen N.S. Co Meath when I was in with my Guide Dog giving a talk. Some 30 years later he was in the station in Connolly when a call came in to meet a Tom from Balbriggan with a Guide Dog. He said to himself “Could it be that Tom from all those years back?” It was and he was so comfortable chatting with me and guiding me that I am certain those talks achieved their aim to make a person feel comfortable with a person who is visually impaired and has a Guide Dog. If you are interested in volunteering with us please feel free to contact us: Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind Phone/text: 085 7663107 or you can always contact us at
Email: guidedogsbalbriggan@gmail.com or indeed you may contact us on our facebook page
Find us on Facebook: Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs