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.
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.”