The Black Raven Pipe Band Lusk with the support of Fingal County Council are launching a new initiative to offer free Bagpipe and Snare Drum lessons to adults in the area. We have launched our new programme during Fingal Inclusion Week on Saturday 18th November 2023. We are a group with an idea and a dream, one which we know we can achieve again. Proud of our accomplishments, The Black Raven Pipe band are known throughout the country and have had the good fortune previously to compete and win in the World Championships! Work and life schedules being what they are, we have experienced a number of changes over the past number of years.

However, we feel we can carry on the tradition while more accurately reflecting the current composition of the band. A history to be proud of through hard work and perseverance the nucleus of the band was formed. With our strong history in mind, we are also excited and looking forward to embracing our futures… embark with us on the next exciting chapter of the band’s history! Following our 2023 season we are confident that 2024 season promises to be an exciting one for the band as we look to go back to basics and build on our record wins to date and you could be a part of that! Our team are available by contacting the email and phone number below. This programme is aimed at adults who always wished they had the opportunity to learn the bagpipes or snare drum, but never got the opportunity in their earlier years. Remember it’s never too late to learn a musical instrument - you might surprise yourself! So now is the time to come and talk to us and remember classes and instruments are free? Our qualified instructors are waiting for you.

In the meantime, should you require further information, or to apply, you can email us at blackravenpipeband@gmail.com or contact our band secretary on 087 2621312. Closing date for applications is 14th January 2024 limited places are available so book early.

A New Year, a fresh start, a new challenge or fulfil a New Year’s resolution. At Junsa we help all our students to try and fulfil their Taekwondo aspirations and for anyone wishing to try Taekwondo we’ll do the same for you. With our grading behind us January is the planning month for upcoming tournaments at home and abroad, and we are arranging training sessions with other clubs and seminars to attend. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Stuart on 087 7775202 or on Facebook Junsa Taekwondo. Junsa would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and we are looking forward to the new Taekwondo season ahead.

Happy New Year to all club members and welcome back to training. New members are welcomed. 2023 was a hugely successful year for our growing club. There were many fantastic achievements across all age groups from Cross Country to Marathons and Track & Field. Congratulations to all our athletes who trained so hard throughout the year. Huge thanks to our club coaches, officers and volunteers for their commitment without which none of this success would be possible. We look forward to further success in 2024 with lots of fun along the way.

In the realm of sport, the birth of a new club is an exciting time and such is the case as Lusk Ravens Basketball embarks on its inaugural season. Six new teams will complete their first ever season in Dublin leagues this year, Men’s senior team, Women’s senior team, Masters team, Boys under 14, Girls under 14, Boys under 13 in addition to an academy catering for younger players. An extraordinary amount of work has gotten the club to this point and we are delighted to be able to provide Basketball to our community. Thank you to all the coaches and volunteers who have made this happen. We would like to thank Lusk National School for hosting the club. Basketball is an expensive sport and none of these teams would be possible without our sponsors: Murray’s Pub - David Mulcahy Engineering - The Top Shop - North County Fitness - KP Windows -Ciuin Wellness - Showbiz Academy - Aidan Cullen Home Renovations - M.R Concrete - Apollo Electrical and Film Equipment Hire Ireland. Thank you so much for your support which is deeply appreciated. Go Ravens Go!

As we say goodbye 2023 it is worthwhile looking back at progress made in the town during the year. There were a number of highlights on the Council side of things. After much turmoil and debate the new Fingal Development Plan came into effect in the Spring. Despite a number of motions that would seek to massively expand the town, with no benefit to social infrastructure for the people of Lusk, I was able to lead the charge in defeating all of these motions and leaving the zoning map as it had been in the previous Development Plan. I couldn’t have done this without the tenacity of our great community organisations in the town coming together to oppose these motions. Following on from this, I was able to advocate for Lusk to be chosen for the Town Centre First Scheme and we have now established the Pillar Groups from community organisations in the town. We will receive the new Town Centre First Plan in January of 2024 and can use this a map for the provision of much needed additional infrastructure for Lusk, which will be guided by Lusk organisations for Lusk people. The Town Plan will allow us to apply for funding streams to deliver a number of projects outlined in the document. It was also great to see the handover of the lands to the north of the Lusk Sports Hub. This land, now that it is in charge of FCC will allow us to finally develop out the long-promised sporting facilities that the Lusk Sports Group have been working diligently towards for many years and I look forward to 2024 to champion this project.
Finally, I would like to pay tribute to our wonderful Community Organisations in the town, based on their hard work and dedication to the town that makes me optimistic for delivering for Lusk in 2024.

2023 saw the Community Council develop and extend its services across its community facilities while also making major strides in Town Centre First planning for our town. Our current activities focus on Health & Wellbeing, Art & Creativity, Biodiversity and Sustainability, Community Networking, Cultural and Historic Events, Education Grinds, Youth Services, Dance, Judo and Martial Arts as well as Corporate Events and Training. The Cottage Community Centre, Saint Macullin’s Centre, the Carnegie Library Community Hall and our newly developed Cultural Centre host this array of activities and we want to thank all our customers for their support and commitment. Activities in our community facilities typically happen 7 days a week. This represents huge commitment and hard work by our staff and volunteer directors who make things happen. Special thanks go to our staff and all our volunteers who deliver when needed. Christmas Tree Lights Ceremony, Halloween, Fingal Inclusion Week, International Women’s Day, Saints & Scholars St. Patrick’s Weekend, St. Brigit’s Day, Africa Day and Culture Night, are just some of the highlight events that the Community Council organised during the year. 2023 saw our Lusk Vision 2030 being updated to create a Town Plan and the establishment of a new Town Team being supported by Community, Enterprise and Public Realm pillars. This new Town Plan will be critically important in driving future investment and development of new facilities for our growing population. The Community Council has developed Phase 2 plans for the Cultural Centre site. The aim is to develop a community campus which will extend from the Cottage Community Centre to Saint Macullin’s Centre and Round Tower complex to the Cultural Centre site. The phase 2 Cultural Centre design includes a multi-purpose performance space and outdoor market courtyard. Moving this project forward to development will be a key 2024 priority. Safety and anti-social issues continue to be a major concern in our community. In 2023 the Community Council applied to a Community Safety Innovation Fund and was successful. This project will look to new ways to address anti-social issues in Lusk.

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.