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!

2023 was another successful year for LSA. We are an Athletics club based on the Donabate/Portrane peninsula, founded in 2011. We now have almost 460 members, over half of those are children and teenagers. Last year our athletes competed in Dublin, Leinster, Schools and National Championships; European U20 Championships; World and European Masters Championships; numerous road races, mountain races, and marathons at home and across the world. We also have a National Record Holder Under 20. Other notable events were a successful road race in May, a Summer Camp in July, and the first sod turned on our future home in August. We are a friendly growing club, run by volunteers. Our members log thousands of kilometres across the peninsula and beyond, at a wide range of paces and there is a big welcome for everyone who likes to keep active. We always welcome new members and volunteers. If you would like to get involved please contact us - details below: For any Adult memberships queries please contact us lambaysportsathletics@gmail.com Little Athletics and Juvenile athletes (from age 7-18) please contact lsajuvenilereg@gmail.com Keep up to date on all the events by following LSA on our social media pages! On Facebook please contact us on .facebook.com/lambaysportsacademy or contact us on Instagram at our Instagram site on instagram.com/lsadonabateportrane/ Twitter twitter.com/LSARunning Please also visit our website lambaysportsathletics.ie/

October and November were busy months for the club. Along with our regular training sessions every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday we also hosted and participated in several other events. In October we hosted Brown & Black Belt Training for JKS Ireland members from across the country. We also hosted Open Squad training for JKS Ireland members which is in preparation for the JKS World Karate Championships in Japan in 2024.

We sent a small squad of 15 club members to the JKS Ireland Interclub Competition held in Tallaght at the end of October. The squad did fantastic, showing off their karate skills and topping the medal table on the day with 7 Gold, 5 Silver and 4 Bronze medals coming home to Swords.

In November we hosted JKS Ireland Brown & Black Belt Training as well as Open Squad training for JKS Ireland members. These are important events, not just for training but also for maintaining the friendships which have developed amongst students from around Ireland.

Sophia Guildea and Amelia Miller were presented with their JKS Shodan Diploma from Japan by Dermot O Keeffe Sensei 7th Dan JKS at the November Brown & Black training session. These Diplomas are the results of the Dan Examination taken by the two girls in May 2023 under the watchful eye of Kagawa Shihan 9th Dan JKS, World Technical Director. At this exam, both girls had to demonstrate their skills and abilities in an examination of Kihon, Kata and Kumite which lasted approximately 45 minutes. The Club is very proud of its new Black Belt holders. The Club is looking for new members (Children, Young People & Adults). Contact Dermot on 087-8073885 for details on how to join. You can also contact us on Facebook: JKS Swords Karate Club or on Instagram: @jks_swords_karate_club. We wish all our members, supporters and their families a very Happy Christmas.

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.

National League iSecure Swords Thunder, the formidable local ladies’ basketball team, has roared back to life this season, demonstrating an astonishing turnaround from their previous year’s performance in the Basketball Ireland MissQuote.ie National League. Last year, they achieved a modest record of 4 wins and 14 losses, but this season, they are emerging as a force to be reckoned with. The turning point for Swords Thunder has been the strategic acquisition of pro-player, Jensen Caretti, hailing from Ohio State. Caretti has proved herself as a scoring machine, consistently delivering a stellar performance with an impressive average of 20 points per game. Her exceptional skills and experience have breathed new life into the team and positioned them as competitors this year. Adding to the excitement, Jasmine Walker, originally from New Jersey, but who has dedicated her last five years to Irish basketball, has been an invaluable addition for the team. Her strong presence on the court and her unwavering dedication have further fuelled the team’s resurgence. iSecure Swords Thunder’s remarkable journey back to the top has been highlighted by their exceptional start to the season. They kicked things off with a thrilling victory over Phoenix Rockets, the reigning League Cup Champions setting the tone for the season. Their remarkable momentum continued with a resounding win over the National Cup Winners, Dublin Lions. Excited fans and supporters can stay up-to-date with the latest scores, highlights, and game information by following the Swords Basketball Club on their social media channels. Swords Thunder is eager to continue their incredible journey through the National League, and their recent successes suggest that they are well on their way to becoming a formidable force within women’s National League basketball. As the season unfolds, expect more thrilling games and a continued display of excellence from iSecure

Congratulations to our Senior ladies who are Senior Football Shield Champs after the tightest of games v Ballyboden St Enda’s recently! Point for point, the teams battled it out until the final whistle showing grit and great determination. Commiserations to the Boden ladies who made it such a hard-fought game. Well done to Olivia & Clara from the U12’s who did a fantastic job as mascots too! Thanks to Peter @gaapics_ireland for photos.

What better way to train than indoors in these winter months, while still reaching your fitness goals, learning a new skill, learning to possibly become an Olympic champion and become disciplined than at Junsa Taekwondo. We have been busy taking on new students all the while our older students are honing their skills for tournaments and the upcoming club grading. We have also had a visitor form Brazil who brought loads of knowledge to the club.

It’s been that part of the year when the lead up to the autumn marathons meets the start of the Cross - Country season so most of our club athletes have been in action of some kind. Well done to all our juveniles who have taken part in the first two cross country leagues and to all our adult members who have completed a marathon or other race recently.

The club Christmas party and awards night takes place on Friday 8th December so don’t forget to buy your tickets. Have you listened to our podcasts ? There are ten episodes available so far and they are full of excellent interviews with club members and well-known personalities from the world of athletics.

The TAP BAR is open to Christmas Reservations – Reserve Tables/Section in our Tap Bar! Get in touch now!! Nursery, LGFA, AMFC, GAA Boys and Girls – The Club would like to invite new members to play GAA – Please Get in Touch! September Round Towers U11 Boys took to the field and thanks to Good Counsel Liffey Gaels for the game on a sun soaked TAP2. Before our League game, some of our 2011 boys presented Gerry Butterly of Airport View and Secret Spa,Blakes Cross, with an O’Neills top. Airport View have kindly sponsored the squad. With a great menu at Winters Restaurant and Spa in one location, you can truly relax. October Round Towers U13 boys were delighted with the support at their hurling match in Round Towers on the day of the official opening of the new Astro pitch. They had an impressive league match win against St Anne’s. September Round Towers Adult Men’s Football Committee (AMFC): What an amazing night we had at our monthly retired members and friends evening on Tuesday (28th September) night in the club. We had some very special guests in attendance. Sam Maguire, Brendan Martin, Liam McCarthy and the Fr Larry Murray cups were accompanied by men’s and ladies Dublin senior players Carla Rowe, Caoimhe O’Connor and Lorcan O’Dell. If anyone would like an original copy of the photos taken at the event please contact Ciara Smyth directly on 087 6152958. The Traditional Music Night on the last Tuesday of the months has been a huge success Entertainment – The TAP Bar in GAA club in Lusk has got some fantastic events coming over the month and would be delighted to see you there and enjoy some Live music: (A) Cliché – 4th November – (B) Poker Classic – 10th November (C ) Odd Couple – 18th November. More to be confirmed check our TAP Bar Facebook page! Enjoy sporting events on the big screen in the TAP on the Big Screen. TRAD Night – Last Tuesday every month great music night session in the TAP Bar Stay posted on Facebook on upcoming events..Enjoy GAA matches and other sports event with light refreshment on large screen in TAP BAR. Outdoor seating area available.