“Lusk Twinning Association are delighted to celebrate their 30th anniversary marking when Lusk as a village was twinned with the town of Thorigne-Fouillard in Britanny. After some preliminary research and groundwork that started in 1991 the Twinning process was made official on 2nd May,1993 with the first visit of our Breton friends coming to Lusk. We take turns visiting each other on alternate years. When we visit we stay with a host family and experience their culture, this is reciprocated when they come to us. We are always accompanied by our own musicians who travel along with Irish dancers. By unique coincidence the town of Thorigne-Fouillard has a traditional music group called the Luskies and a choir called Eire D’large. We have had many wonderful evenings enjoying musical exchanges and performing together. We look forward to the arrival of our friends and continuing our friendship for many more years.”
Cllr Rob O’Donoghue enthusiastically greeted the briefing in the March Area Committee of the planning permission and timeline for provision of sporting facilities at the Lusk Sports Hub in Rathmore Park. Facilities proposed in the planning application for the hub include a new all-weather floodlit training area measuring 74m x 28m (suitable for GAA Go Games Activity) including ball wall (20m x 5m), all-weather floodlit soccer sized pitch measuring 100m x 64m, all weather floodlit 8 lane running track, additional bicycle & car parking spaces (30no. each), a Teen Space, pollinator friendly species & trees and other works including fencing incl. ball stop, storage/changing facilities, drinking water fountain and park furniture. The timeline for the provision of these sporting facilities will be then finalisation of reports, drawings and documents in March and to lodge the planning application with An Bord Pleanala in April of 2024. Should planning be granted procurement of works will being post the decision from An Bord Pleanala. Speaking at the Committee, Cllr O’Donoghue thanked the Lusk Sports Group for their work over the past decade to get the project ready for planning application. He stated ‘an immense amount of work has gone into getting the hub ready by the Clubs and Community Organisations over the last ten years, countless volunteer hours have already been given by all stakeholder groups on the Lusk Sports Groups and they should be really proud of sticking the course to date as the proposed facilities at the Lusk Hub will be second to none. This is a great news story for Lusk, the facilities are critically needed and this will be a flagship project for both Lusk and Fingal that I hope to champion over the coming years.”
In Lusk, a group of dedicated volunteers known as Lusk Community First Responders (Lusk CFR), is working to make a life-changing impact on their community. Trained to respond swiftly to specific emergency calls, their mission is clear: to reach potential life-threatening situations in the crucial minutes before the ambulance crew arrives. Connected to the National Ambulance Service Emergency Operations Centre, Lusk CFR can provide medical assistance within minutes of a 999 call, offering a lifeline to those in distress. In Ireland, 5,000 people are lost to cardiac arrest each year, 13 lives lost every day. These incidents strike without warning, affecting people in the midst of their daily routines, from homes to workplaces, shopping centres, and sports events. 70% to 80% of these cardiac arrests occur in the presence of family or friends. For every passing minute, the chances of recovery decrease by 7% to 10%. Currently, the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest survival rate in Ireland is 5.2%. However, Lusk CFR aims to change this by emphasising the critical importance of swift response. Effective CPR and the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) within the first 3-5 minutes can significantly boost survival rates to 49% to 75%. While this initiative is new to Lusk, CFR schemes across Ireland, registered with the National Ambulance Service, have already proven their impact. Lusk currently has 3 public access AEDs, available 24/7 365 days a year. At the Cottage Community Centre, Lusk Soccer Club and Centra in Dun Emer. Lusk CFR will continue to work with the community to increase the number of public access AEDs in the community. Lusk CFR is actively seeking volunteers, and no prior medical experience or training is necessary, as continuous training will be offered to all recruits. Additionally, Lusk CFR is reaching out for financial assistance to procure life-saving equipment and to sponsor the placement of public access Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) within our community. Your support can make a significant impact in ensuring the safety and well-being of our community.
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:
This past month at Junsa has been busy in our preparation for our upcoming local competition. There will be clubs from all over Dublin and the surrounding areas. This tournament will be a decider to see if some of our players will travel abroad to compete for Junsa. If their performances are good, then they could make the next step to international competition. We have also been focusing on our under 6’s age group, teaching them the basic fundamentals of Taekwondo and hand, foot and eye coordination, skills that will stand to them in life.
