BY Liam O Culbáird

Isn’t it funny how quick the time goes by when you are having fun! That is certainly the case at Fingallians GAA as we enter our 139th year of serving the people of Swords and surrounding areas. Lawless Memorial Park serves as a safe, welcoming and supportive environment for the sport stars of the future. In 2022 our membership passed the 2,000 mark. Our club is proving more popular than ever and we are now one of the largest community groups in Fingal. This is due to the brilliant support of our players, parents, mentors, volunteers, staff and the many others that contribute. Special thanks must also go to our sponsors that support the various teams and are central to our ongoing success. Isn’t it funny how quick the time goes by when you are having fun! That is certainly the case at Fingallians GAA as we enter our 139th year of serving the people of Swords and surrounding areas. Lawless Memorial Park serves as a safe, welcoming and supportive environment for the sport stars of the future. In 2022 our membership passed the 2,000 mark. Recently we opened the new all weather training facility at our grounds. The new all weather surface will mean additional space for training during winter months when grass is unusable. The new facility was made possible through a capital sports grant in addition to fundraising by Fingallians. The official opening was carried out by Minister Darragh O’Brien and Minister of State Jack Chambers. Many Fingallians members were present for the opening including 6 time All-Ireland winner Paul Flynn. Photos were taken by Fingallians member Noel Delaney. Our club is proving more popular than ever and we are now one of the largest community groups in Fingal. This is due to the brilliant support of our players, parents, mentors, volunteers, staff and the many others that contribute. Special thanks must also go to our sponsors that support the various teams and are central to our ongoing success. As we look towards 2023, our major concern is that we do not have enough playing space. We have over 77 teams taking to the field each week for games. Add training sessions to this and you see how stretched our resources are. Regardless of this we look forward to welcoming new players to Fingallians in 2023. We wish all our friends and supporters the very best of success in the new year and we hope to see you at the sideline soon. Athbhliain faoi shéan is faoi mhaise daoibh.

2022 at Junsa Taekwondo was a time for change and rebuilding. During the year we had to change our training times and our venue for some of our students had to change too, but we continued on and rebuilt the club to what it is today, (all with the support of our members and the local community ) a great place to learn our noble art and sport. Please have look at our year of 2022 in pictures . Junsa wishes a Happy New Year to all the parents, guardians, schools, members and to everyone who supports the club. Thank you

Lusk Athletic Club would like to wish all our members and their families a very Happy New Year and we hope that 2023 will be a great year for you in life as well as in athletics. The biggest wish for Lusk AC is that 2023 brings us closer to achieving our main goal i.e., having a home of our own with a track for all club members to train on. Committee members are in constant contact with Fingal County Council on this issue. In the last few weeks of 2022 Lusk AC members competed in the Clontarf Half Marathon and 5-mile race, The Jingle Bells 5k in the Phoenix Park, The GOAL mile and in the local Parkruns and the year ended with our own Holly Berry 10k and Turkey Trot 5k on the 28th of December. As we look forward to 2023 the Leinster Intermediate, Masters and Juvenile Cross Country Championships will take place in Raheny on Sunday the 15th of January. This is followed two weeks later by the first big road race of the year the Raheny 5 Mile on Sunday 29th of January where Lusk Athletic Club will be well represented by upwards of 50 runners. Our Track and Field athletes have the immensely popular NIA Track and Field indoor meetings to look forward to. The Lusk 4 Mile race is on Sunday the 5th of March and we are working hard to make 2023 the biggest and best race yet. Registration is open on eventmaster.ie, The OTC is available to all club members who want to improve their conditioning over the winter months. A strength and conditioning class takes place every Friday 8pm.

The St Pats oldest Academy group - the 2016 boys and girls - are really enjoying their #BallWall sessions. Once a month, they’re doing a session at the Ball Wall and in the Gym working on Functional Movement skills. So many people assume that the gym is only for our Adult members but it’s utilised by all our teams with their Mentors, S&C coaches and FM guides. If you’d like your 2016 child to join the fun, just PM the St Pats facebook page. Same goes for any aged juvenile from 2018 to 2005, PM the St Pats facebook page and we’ll put you in touch with the squad mentor.

2022 was a great year for LSA. We had our first inaugural road race last May. It was very successful and thanks to all the Donabate and Portrane Community for supporting us. We’ve had medals in Dublin Championships, Leinsters and Nationals across the club. 40 athletes took part in the 2022 Dublin City Marathon with huge support from our club members on the day. We had goals set, records broken and athletes who started running for the first time in April and completed a half marathon in November. We’re looking forward to another “Runderful” year in 2023 and if you would like to join us, contact our registrar on lambaysportsathletics@gmail.com.

Balbriggan CC right-arm seam bowler Aadi Wankhade has been awarded the Cricket Leinster ‘Find a Fast Bowler’ award for 2022. It represents swift progress for Aadi who only made his first senior club appearance on 12th June last for Balbriggan CC. In addition to underage selection for Fingal, Leinster and Irish Cubs teams in 2022, Aadi is now playing regularly in Leinster Open Competitions and in a very motivational gesture, Aadi has been invited by his idol, the Irish cricketing star Josh Little, to train with him and the Leinster Lightning squad in April. Josh added -“Congratulations on your award Aadi. Very humbled that I am your favourite cricketer, and I would like to invite you to attend a Leinster Lightning training session in April, so I can present your Award but more importantly to bowl with you to learn how you won the Award this year”. Albert Harper (Balbriggan Cricket Club) was delighted to see Aadi’s progress recognised in this way -“Congratulations Aadi, I remember well the first time you came to club training and we could see what a special talent we had on our hands. We ask our Council and Local Councillors to once again stand with us this winter to see how we can create more opportunities for young cricketers like Aadi.”

Congratulations to former Glebe Player Hannah Healy, awarded tonight as WNL U17 player of the year. Hannah was also named U15 FAI International player of the year just two days ago.
Well done young lady, what an incredible achievement, very well deserved.

Congratulations to the Squad of 17 JKS Swords members who took part in the JKS Autumn Interclub Competition in Tallaght recently. They had a very successful outing bagging 7 Gold, 9 Silver and 14 Bronze medals overall. JKS Swords hosted the JKS Ireland Open Squad and Brown & Black Belt training session recently. Members of JKS Ireland from all over the country spent 2 hours training in Applewood Community Centre, going through ring craft for competition and also syllabus work for grading’s.Members of JKS Swords joined other JKS Ireland members on a competition squad and attended the Kanazawa Cup 2022 in Tallaght. The Squad had a very successful day with lots of medals won. Congratulations to everyone who took part. A big Well Done to Tadhg Comiskey and Harrison Beaumont on being selected as Students of the Month for November. Both boys train very hard and on a regular basic to develop their karate. Regular training continues weekly as we prepare for the Winter Grading. Students are putting the final touches to their kihon, kata and kumite in preparation for the Grading exam on 17th December 2022. If successful in their grading, the students will earn a new coloured belt and progress to the next level of their karate training.
We would like to wish all our members, Parents and Guardians and all our Supporters a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We take new members (Children, Young People & Adults) throughout the year. Contact Dermot on 087-8073885 for details on how to join. Contact us on Facebook: JKS Swords Karate Club or alternatively contact us on Instagram: @jks_swords_karate_club.

St Colmcilles is currently recruiting for a Coaching/Management Team for their Junior Men’s Football team. These candidates should have an excellent knowledge of Gaelic football, Team Coaching and team Strategies. All applicants can call Marian 0876819540 or Aaron 0863888944. Or email their interest to secretary.st Colmcilles.dublin@gaa.ie.Annual Christmas Draw will take place Friday 16th Dec at 10pm. Tickets are available in the clubhouse bar and any committee member. Tickets cost €10 each with the main Jackpot Prize €1000. Juvenile Section - All teams will finish up for the Year at the end of November, to enjoy the festive season. All teams will return the first week in February 2023Training times for Feb - Saturday Morning’s @ 10.30am and Wednesday evening at 7pm (over 7 years) all sessions are 1 hour long. For more information, please call Cora 0833741305.Gaelic for Mothers And Others, is a great initiative from the LGFA, it is for women over the age of 25. G4M&O brings together women who enjoy learning Gaelic football (even if you’ve never played, this is for you) and having a bit of fun while exercising. Contact Deirdre 0879309962.We would like to take this opportunity to Wish you all a very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year, and to Thank each of you for all your support throughout the year.

With the end of the year fast approaching, it’s a busy time at Junsa Taekwondo. We are preparing for the last tournament of the year and the club grading. The club grading is probably the highlight of the club calendar. This is where the students preform there skills both in Kyrougi (sparring) and the traditional part of Taekwondo, stances, blocks , strikes and kicks. It’s a wonderful time in the club. Have a look at our preparation in our pictures. We at Junsa Taekwondo work hard to provide a safe and happy environment for our students we also encourage our students to take part in all aspects of our martial art and help promote their confidence, fitness and their own individual talents. A Happy Christmas to all our friends, supporters, our participants and their families and to you all!