While we are really enjoying getting back to training we are very excited about resuming our indoor training sometime very soon. In the meantime we will keep our training going in the Round Towers GAA Astro pitch. Over the last few weeks we have had great support from all our members new and old. We have also had a number of past students returning for a bit of training and pad kicking.

The inaugural Lusk AC ‘Naked Challenge’ took place on Sunday 13th June. Participants had to predict their finish time over a 5k or 10k route from the Sports Hub and then run without the aid of a watch. Hence they may have felt ‘Naked’ without the aid of their watches to keep an eye on their times. The challenge being to get as close to your predicted time based on your own internal pace clock rather than technology. It was a fun event for all and nice to take part in an actual event without the pressure of running flat out. Winners (closest to their estimated times) were Greg Robins and Alex Bell for the 10k, Conor Doyle and Orla Brennan for the 5k.

We are back! Finally we are back. Pitches which were silent and empty are now full of cheers and activity. It has been so long we truly wondered would we ever get back to normal…but we have… and it feels great. So many teams full to capacity and operating waiting lists to join is a testament to the central role Lusk United has in the community. Children as young as 4 join us on a Friday evening and Saturday morning for our ever growing academies…this enthusiasm continues all the way to our senior teams. This past few months we have rolled out our Clubzap app, which allows our managers and coaches to communicate directly with teams as well as make covid procedures manageable. It is only now, when we have been away from matches and training for so long and now are back, we appreciate just how much time and effort our volunteers put in. To all our managers, coaches and parents who help out we say a huge thank you! We look forward to continue in the coming days to put to practise our club ethos #workhard #havefun.

St Pats were delighted to chosen recently to feature in the LGFA County Board’s ‘Club Focus’ series. Pats have grown from a small North Dublin football club set up in 1924 to a 950+ member club covering Ladies Football, Camogie, Gaelic Football & Hurling operating on the ‘One Club’ model sharing Clubhouse and pitches. They are active in the primary and secondary schools where their players enjoy the best of Club & School coaching & fixtures. A Ladies team was begun in 2000 but unfortunately due to emigration, the team folded. LGFA was resurrected later in the 2000s with two juvenile teams A task force was set up to increase the number of LGFA teams with the aim of having a team every 2 years. Injections of fresh blood into the section over the last few years have seen the Club far exceed this goal. Their social media hashtag is #ProudToBePats and they now proudly boast LGFA teams at almost every year. LGFA is the fastest growing section of the Club! They’ve also increased their female representation on the Club Executive and committees; female player representation on player committees now accepted as standard. Their referees all learn LGFA, Football & Hurling rules ensuring that future players are aware of all sections of this growing club. Despite the restrictions, 2020 was a successful year for LGFA in the Club. Their Adult squad – mentored by Aidan Coppinger & Adrian Brophy – only missed out progressing to their Championship Semi Final on goal difference. They went on to beat a strong Kickhams side in the Shield Final. The minors in Division 4, U16s in Division 3 and U14s in Division 3 all fought their way through to their Championship Semi Finals before the season came to a shuddering halt.Their teams are delighted to be back training and that the season has begun for Cup, League and the Championship. The future is the Club is bright – the future is Green & Black! If you live in Donabate/Portrane and you’d like to get involved in LGFA – juvenile or adult – or G4M&O, just contact them at info@stpatsgaa.com. (NB: not accessible through this medium). Similarly if you’d like to get involved with GAA, just drop them a line as new members are always welcome in all ages and codes. Ní neart go cur le cheile.

Balbriggan Senior Cricket club is located in Balbriggan Town Park , Balbriggan. New playing members of all ages and abilities and pavilion members are always welcome.Balbriggan Cricket Club is based in the heart of Balbriggan and has 5 Senior Adult teams , a Social cricket team and a big underage section of boys and girls teams.The Adult Senior teams range from Premier league level down to the lowest league so if you are interested in joining you can be sure we will have a team that suits you’re playing level. We have excellent facilities with top class wickets and nets and you will find people practising most days of the week.The underage set up in Balbriggan is thriving , our ground and nets is a hive of activity every day from April to Sept in Balbriggan Town Park when underage coaching and Practice takes place. Kids from 5 years up can come along and experience cricket and will learn how to play the game with our experienced coaches.We also go to the local schools to teach kids the basics of the game during Jan, Feb and March. To enquire about membership or training call or text 0860644238

Congratulations to Aitzol King, who has been called up to the Leinster U20’s squad. This is just reward for years of hard work and dedication on Aitzol’s part. He is really striking out on his own now as this is the first time he has made it to this level without one or more of his fellow Balbriggan team mates with him. He will especially miss Abdul who he has played alongside with at Balbriggan, the North East and Leinster.We at Balbriggan RFC are all so proud of Aitzol and all that you have achieved. Best of luck Aitzol. We look forward to seeing you in Leinster blue again soon.

It has been brilliant to see all of our members return to group training in recent weeks. The sports hub was back to being a hive of activity on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Well done to all that were following individual 5k and 10k training plans over the last few months. There were some fantastic times recorded in recent Virtual races particular in the Portmarnock Road to Beach 5k with Sheila Bourke finishing 2nd. Best of luck to all members that have just commenced Half Marathon or Marathon training plans.

It’s been a quiet few months in the club so we were delighted to welcome back our Juvenile and Senior teams to Round Towers recently.There was great excitement in Thomas Ashe Park also with the return of our Nursery with a fantastic turnout on our first morning back after lockdown. We have also launched our online lotto which will take place every Thursday at 9.00pm

May brought us at Donabate Portrane Special Olympics Club the best news ever; with an ease in Covid restrictions and thanks to hard work by our safety committee we have returned to ‘live’ sessions on Saturdays.I don’t know who was more excited, our volunteers, the parents or the athletes!Despite the rain, and thanks to the covered yard area in DPETNS, we welcomed our young athletes and parents back in pods of fifteen, and it was a privilege to see the smiles as they saw their friends face to face for the first time in so long.We are all sure they could all tell we adults were smiling under our masks as we marvel at how much they have all grown up over the last 15 months.We thought it might be difficult to run our sessions within the restrictions, but as always our superstars adapted to the challenge and were soon running, hopping, skipping, balancing.Playground games are a great hit; with the children enjoying their turn at being “it” and calling the shots in Red Rover and What’s the time Mister Wolf. While activities were under way in Donabate, one of our parent volunteers, Maedhbh, took on her first marathon to raise funds for Down Syndrome Dublin and our club. Our club followed her progress with some of our families going along to support Maedhbh on her route. We are all very proud and grateful to Maedhbh who raised over €3500. Local Athletics Club, LSA are great supporters of our club and will help us with the launch of our athletics programme as soon as we are able.We are delighted that they have chosen us as their charity partner for their first official event this summer to celebrate their 10th anniversary.Thank you LSA.

LSA (Lambay Sports & Athletics), is an athletic club in North County Dublin with juvenile and adult members, founded in 2011.This is our first club race and we would love if you could join us in our celebrations.Unfortunately due to restrictions this year we can only be with you in spirit and hope from next year to continue with an annual road race around the beautiful coastline of Donabate and Portrane.For now we are celebrating everything 10 with a 10k and 10 mile. We’ve also added a 5k and juvenile races so everyone has a race to suit them. So get the family out and run, jog, walk or roll your distance between 12th to 18th July 2021. We will have spot prizes which will be announced over the next couple of weeks too for winning club teams (it doesn’t have to be an athletic club) and age category. Our nominated charity is Donabate & Portrane Special Olympics Club, a new club with a big heart, catering for kids with disabilities from all over North Dublin and beyond. If you would like to train for this event, join the club and share in the celebrations, please email Heather on lambaysportsathletics@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook - Search “LSA”.