Lusk Community Cleaning Group was formed three years ago by some like-minded local residents, who wanted to enhance their community by planting flower beds and some seasonal containers around the town. They’re also an avid litter picking group, which really helps to enhance the appearance of Lusk Town Centre and as well as the approach roads.

As an active community organisation, they co-ordinate monthly litter picking mornings all year round, as well as bulb and tree planting days. Everyone is welcome to join these events, no membership is necessary. Just come along and enjoy helping your community, whilst meeting some new residents. In addition to litter picking, the volunteers have taken on various new projects this year, such as: (1.) Cutting back grass verges along footpaths and cycle lanes -(2.) Collecting autumn leaves for leaf mould cages - (3.) Cleaning up local bridges to reveal the beautiful stonework - (4.) Cutting back overgrown hedges along busy footpaths - (5.) _ Planting new flower beds at key locations around the town, There is also a great sense of community comradeship amongst their volunteers and coffee and cake is always a welcome treat, after all the hard work is done! Check out their weekly social media posts on Love Lusk Facebook and Instagram for their latest news and community events. Anyone can volunteer, no commitment is required, just help out when you can in whatever capacity you can. They can provide free litter picking kits to all of the volunteers and also a have a variety of garden tools available on loan. If you would like to help keep your community looking it’s best, contact Willie on 087 637 9199.

If any residents have ideas or suggestions, for future projects for Lusk Community Cleaning Group, please let us know by emailing info@lovelusk.ie

Cllr Rob O’Donoghue wishes to apologise for his factually inaccurate statement in the November issue of Lusk Local magazine. He said, “It has been brought to my attention that information provided by me regarding the handover of the Rush and Lusk Educate Together School, which was included in the November issue of the Lusk Local magazine is factually inaccurate. This was entirely my error, it was no fault whatsoever of the Lusk Local publication, and I apologise for any confusion that this information may have caused to parents, staff and the management of the RALET. Works are continuing on the new school premises which in time will provide a great new facility for the area.”

A number of weeks ago, we in Lusk Action Group submitted comprehensive letters of complaint to the National Transport Authority, Dublin Bus and Go Ahead regarding the many ongoing service and capacity issues. Since then, the issue has been brought up in Dáil discussion by Louise O’Reilly TD and we have been on Newstalk radio talking about the issues and with the support of Minister Joe O’Brien, we have met with NTA and with Dublin Bus in recent weeks to discuss these issues and how resolution is planned. Issues can be complex, from heavy city traffic to lack of drivers and lack of mechanics, which keeps vehicles off the road. What is most needed is accurate information and an accessible complaints system. For Dublin Bus issues (33, 33X), including late arrivals, non-arrivals, ghost buses, buses passing passengers, and driver issues, please keep a note of the date, the time and the issue and email both Dublin Bus and Lusk Action Group. Once we have more detailed information, it gives us much more weight is any discussions with the operator.complaints@dublinbus.ie and copy us at luskactiongroup@gmail.com We await our meeting with GoAhead.

On our Facebook and Instagram pages ILoveLusk, we put up quick posts in relation to available grants and then point you back to our main website – www.lovelusk.ie. Even within the ‘Community Grants’ page, we provide a summary of the grants and a link to the full information. While our web page lovelusk.ie/home/community-grants/ may only give a brief description of the grant, don’t be put off by the wording. Click on the link supplied by us, bringing you to the relevant section of the grant providers’ website. If you need examples of how this grant was used by other groups, most websites provide a list of recipients in prior years and give brief descriptions about their projects. These descriptions are brilliant as you now have examples of accepted projects. You can decide if any of these projects would or could apply to your organisation. If you feel you need extra clarity, most groups have either a website or a Facebook page and so if you need to, you can contact them and from our own experience, they are more than happy to talk. On our Facebook and Instagram page, we have also posted about the Community Water Development Fund, which is currently open. Examples of previous local recipients were provided – Balbriggan Tidy Towns, OWLS (Children’s Nature Charity) and Swords Tidy Towns, as well as the possibility of applying for this grant for a feasibility study into rain water harvesting systems, showing how St. Maur’s GAA received funding from LEADER to help with harvesting rain water from the roof of their clubhouse. In other words, this grant could be a stepping stone for further available grants. It would be very easy to miss this wide-ranging grant. So, get into a habit of looking at the grants page on our website, clinking into the links provided and reading the extra information that is contained there. Don’t be put off by the wording and, with the examples provided of prior approved projects, think within and outside the box. Then don’t forget to apply!

Following a question to the Council management from Cllr Rob O’Donoghue there was welcome news on the progress on the development of the sports hub in Lusk. Following environmental screening of aspects of the proposed Recreational Hub on Rathmore Road in Lusk it is necessary to undertake a survey and impact assessment work over the winter months. Once these works are complete, it is the Councils plan to submit proposals for approval to An Bord Pleanála in quarter two of 2024. The Question: posed by Cllr O’Donoghue asked: ““To ask the Chief Executive to provide an update on the environmental assessments taking place at the Lusk Sports Hub, when do the Council expect to have the assessments completed and if feasible, inform the Committee of which planning application route will be pursued next in order to deliver the proposed sporting amenities at Lusk Sports Hub?” In their reply the Council said, “Further to environmental screening of aspects of the proposed Rathmore Recreational Hub in Lusk it is necessary to undertake further survey and impact assessment work over the winter months. The Council is now planning to submit the proposals for the Recreational Hub for approval to An Bord Pleanála in Q2 of 2024.” Councillor O’Donoghue stated ‘following many years of hard work by the clubs and community stakeholders on the recreational hub project, we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. The provision of the much-needed facilities for the people of Lusk at the Hub has moved forward with a timeline given for the seeking of planning permission. I am happy to continue to champion this project and keep the pressure on at Council level.’ In other Council news following several questions and motions over the last year requesting that the R127, from New Haggard to Blakes Cross to be resurfaced to aid cyclists and motorists, the section of the road has been assessed and will be considered for inclusion in the Regional Roads Capital Programme in 2024. The actual Question asked by Councillor R. O’Donoghue was “ To ask the Chief Executive if consideration can be given to evaluating the road from Blake’s Cross to Newhaggard, Lusk for resurfacing in the forthcoming Programme of Works?” The Reply from the Council Engineer was, “This section of road in question has been assessed and will be considered for inclusion in the Regional Roads Capital Programme 2024.”

November was another exciting month for LSA. After a fun Halloween themed training session on the Hockey Pitch, many of our Juvenile members joined our adult group at the Donabate Park Run to support our Marathon participants ahead of their big day. We celebrated a superb club effort at the Dublin Marathon - runners, coaches and supporters alike! LSA members Sinead Kiernan and Willie Cahill also won Dublin Marathon Championship medals in their respective age groups. Other club members took on Marathons as far afield as New York and Athens. We were very proud to see our Juvenile Athletes compete in the Dublin Cross Country Championships in Santry. Mark Kelly, Under 13 and Kate Jones, Under 11 were the sole LSA representatives in their races. We had a girls Under 9 team competing, with five girls taking on the muddy 800m distance. Under 9 team captain Clodagh Goggins was a superb Silver medallist. Clodagh qualifies to compete in the National Cross Country Championships in Navan in December, representing both LSA and the Dublin Country and Regional Teams. Good luck Clodagh! Our club is run by volunteers. 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 us on our email at
lsajuvenilereg@gmail.com.Why not keep up to date on all the events by following Lambay Sports and Athletics Club on our social media pages! Our Facebook page is called facebook.com/lambaysportsacademy. Instagram instagram.com/lsadonabateportrane/ Twitter twitter.com/LSARunning Please also visit our website lambaysportsathletics.ie/

Dear Resident,

My name is Eoghan Dockrell and I will contest next year’s local elections to Fingal County Council as the Fine Gael candidate for your area. As part of Senator Regina Doherty’s team, I work with community groups and residents of Donabate, Portrane and Lusk on a daily basis. In the months ahead, I hope to meet you to convince you of my commitment to represent our area on Fingal County Council. However, I appreciate how busy people are. I am therefore taking this opportunity to introduce myself; to give you an overview of my priorities and to share my contact details with you should you wish to raise any issues with me by phone or email (or if you’d like to arrange a meeting). I know that North County Dublin is a brilliant place to grow up and live. However, we all know that as the population has increased in recent decades, not enough consideration has been given about the impact on our close-knit communities. Our local authority, Fingal County Council, is one of the best resourced local authorities in the country; yet there is still a significant lack of social, cultural and sporting facilities in our area. The development of our area should involve more than just building homes. It should be about nurturing our communities as the population increases so that people feel connected. If elected, I will be a strong advocate on Fingal County Council calling for social, cultural and sporting infrastructure in Fingal to be prioritised. I want to be a fresh voice on the Council, fighting for increased spending on infrastructure in Donabate, Portrane and Lusk, and I hope to earn your trust and support in the months ahead. I will be dropping a leaflet in the coming weeks which will set out my priorities in detail (including the urgent need for quality childcare facilities, more affordable housing and better transportation links). If you have any issues that you would like to discuss with me or if I can be of any assistance to you or your family, please contact me at 087 618 3774 or at: eoghandockrellfg@gmail.com. Yours sincerely, Eoghan Dockrell.

As part of Fingal Inclusion Week AAfA were delighted to join DPCC in hosting a Dementia Friendly Coffee Morning. We had a great attendance for a most interesting talk by Geraldine Mc Graffery from the Alzheimer’s Society on Dementia and the services that are available.

Citizens Information also gave a short presentation outlining the entitlement for over 65s. We hope to have a longer presentation from them in the New Year. This was followed by lunch and music from the Caintóirí and Gerry & The Men’s Shed Plonkers who enticed our ladies to show their jiving skills as they rocked the room. It was a very pleasant and informative morning! Thank you very much indeed to all who participated!

We are looking forward to our next event which is our very popular annual Christmas Carol Concert with our singing group Na Caintoiri. This will take place on the12th of December at 11.00 a.m. with mince pies and mulled wine to follow. By popular demand they will be joined by The Men’s Shed Plonkers who will rock us into the Christmas spirit. We will have our usual Monster Raffle and a collection for St Francis Hospice. So please come and support this very worthy cause. Wishing you all a very Healthy and Happy Christmas and we will see you all in the New Year!

The musical narrative of ‘OCEAN CHILD’, is composed by Neil Martin, and is wrought from the tragic sinking of the RMS Tayleur off Lambay Island on January 21st, 1854. This is the world premiere of this newly commissioned work and it will be performed in St Patrick’s Church Donabate for the very first time ever on Sunday 28th January 2024. In this suite, a spoken narrative, drawn from contemporaneous newspaper reports and witness accounts, marries with an original score embracing string quartet, uilleann pipes, harp, flute and concertina. The performers include the world-famous actor Stephen Rea, The West Ocean String Quartet, Louise and Michelle Mulcahy. It was Commissioned by Templebar Trad Fest and made possible through the generosity of Fingal County Council. Remember the time and date: The Concert is at 6pm on the Sunday January 28th in St Patrick’s Church Donabate, tickets on sale Thursday November 16th on tradfest.com

The Peninsula Pacers recently headed to Deerpark Woods in Virginia Co Cavan for a 6/7km medium length walk through the woods around the Park Hotel & beside Lake Ramor. It was a beautiful, interesting walk with all the colours of autumn. The day began with rain but soon cleared and was bright & sunny. We did a car share & it only took just over one hour to the start of the walk - toilets available in supermarket in the town - free parking in this area & at the lake - coffee truck at the lake also. We ate late lunch in the Riverside Hotel - which was delicious & very well priced! Our next walk is on Saturday 6th January 2024! to Carlingford. This was the walk that had been planned before the poor people of that area were flooded, we hope they will be able to rebuild their lovely village. Further details from Carolyn Smith 087 9284307 or Des Carthy 087 7846813. We wish you a Happy Christmas & a Healthy and Fit! New Year.