In an exciting development for inclusive education, St Mary’s Secondary School Baldoyle is delighted to announce its transformation to a Co-Educational School. After consultation with students, parents, staff, local primary schools and in response to demand from the wider community, St Mary’s Secondary School will extend its expertise in outstanding education to boys in the local area, on a phased basis. For the first time in its history, the school will be accepting applications from 2 October for boys starting First Year in September 2024, ushering in a new chapter of opportunity and growth. St Mary’s Secondary School Baldoyle is committed to maintaining high academic standards with 90% of the Class of 2022 who are progressing to third level. We offer a broad range of subjects to students at Junior and Senior cycle including the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme. A new digital media room with Apple iMacs is soon to be completed to allow for an additional focus in coding and computer studies. Expertise is drawn from our established and experienced teaching staff, with a view to further diversifying subject options in line with demand such as Agricultural Science, Computer Science and Politics and Society. Capacity and facilities in St Mary’s have been expanded in recent years with extensive renovations and upgrades to the existing building. Significant further work is also in the pipeline. A period of consultation with parents of incoming First Years has already begun. Ms. Kate O’Regan, Co-Educational Liaison Officer, is looking forward to working closely with these students and parents. Her aim is to ensure the smooth transition to a fully inclusive and diverse school. She will listen to any needs or concerns of our future students in order to create a safe and a truly supportive learning environment. As the school embarks on this transformative journey, it remains focused and committed to nurturing, not only the academic excellence and the learning environment of students, but also their character, compassion and community spirit.
A promising future awaits!!!
We were delighted to accept a donation to our museum collection today of a 1948 Olympics tracksuit worn by the father of well- known local retired schoolteacher Robbie Harrold.
Paddy Harrold represented Ireland in the first post-war games and competed in the Men’s Eights Rowing Event in London. All the rowing competitions took place at Henley.
In 1953 Paddy married Betty Kelly from Church Road in Malahide.We are very grateful to Robbie and the Harrold family and remind anyone who thinks they might have any items, documents or photographs to loan or donate related to the history and heritage or family stories of the Malahide area, including Portmarnock, Kinsealy and Feltrim, to please get in touch with us.
Email malahidehistoricalsociety2@gmail.com or contact us via Facebook or via our website at .malahideheritage.ie.
Malahide Sea Scouts were very pleased to receive a visit from some important visitors recently. The Sea Scouts welcomed and showcased to Minister Daragh O’Brien, Minister Thomas Byrne, Barry Andrews MEP and Councillor Eoin O’Brien our community Scouting in action in Malahide. The visitors were shown around our den on James Terrace. And later they joined us at the Seawall looking on as our skiff rowing crews who spent the weekend upskilling.
Christmas is nearly upon us and at Junsa that means only one thing, grading time. This is the part of Taekwondo that requires concentration, skill, dedication and most of all the will to obtain your next grade. The students have been working hard all year for this moment and it’s a big day in our calendar. Junsa Taekwondo would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas a Happy New Year and thank everyone for their support in 2023. Please take a look at our students in training in these pictures.
Congratulations to all who completed one of the Autumn Marathons. Over 60 Lusk AC members reaped the rewards of all the long training runs and now have a Dublin City Marathon finisher medal. There was a great atmosphere on the day and fantastic support around the course. Well done also to all who volunteered at the event. We at Lusk AC would like to wish all members a very happy Christmas. Our traditional St Stephen’s Day Charity 5k will take place as usual. Look out for details and also for info on the Holly Berry 10k that week. 2024 membership is now open.
On behalf of Lusk Senior Citizens committee, I would like to thank everyone who supported our recent fundraisers. We held a musical bingo and a poker classic and both were a great success. Thank you also to the many local businesses and our wonderful supporters who donated prizes for our bingo and raffles.
A special thank you to the following: APT Safelink, Robert Hughes, Leo Neary, Liam Fitzgerald, Whites Agri, J. Brown builders, Skinny Batch, Kellys Garage, Belfry Cafe, Emma Barry Beauty, Costcutters, Four Star Pizza, Spar Balbriggan, Fingal Farm Shop.
Ann Cowley, Pat Hughes, Joey Russell, Eamon Mulligan, Eileen o Donovan, Margaret Bentley. Happy Christmas to you all!
Lusk Community Cultural Centre is hosting a new photograph exhibition sponsored by the National Museum, OLIVER marketing and Lusk Community Council. The photographs were taken in 1943 as part of the UCD Architectural survey of vernacular buildings of Lusk. The National Museum of Country Life in Castlebar has conserved the photographs which vividly illustrate the life of Lusk as a small village. The novelty of a group of UCD architectural students measuring, drawing and illustrating Lusk’s vernacular buildings was no doubt the subject of great discussion at the time. The combination of drawings, paintings and photographs create a very special time capsule of our town in 1943 and Lusk Community Council is delighted to bring this exhibition back to Lusk, 80 years after it was first created. The exhibition is free to visitors.
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.
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.”