As the cricket season closes in, we hope that you can join us for a game at Kenure during August and support our teams, this year we have seen record number of Juvenile members take part in our Friday night training sessions and some guest appearances behind the BBQ on these nights from the parents. Rush CC would like to thank all those that have helped with the Junior teams, training sessions, attended games and flipped burgers.

Rush CC will host their annual golf classic on Friday 9th August in Rush Golf Club, this is always a great day out and if you would be interested in a tee time or sponsoring a hole on the day, please get in touch with Niall Mullen Ph 086-327780.

The Clubhouse bar is open: Friday 6pm-12.30am - Saturday 4pm - 12.30am and Sunday 4pm – 11pm

Thirteen-year-old Ryan Cowzer from Rush Boxing Club clinched the 40kg title at the Monkstown Box Cup. The Rush native triumphed over an All-Ireland finalist in the semi-finals and defeated a formidable English opponent in the final. In other news, fellow Rush BJJ/Martial Arts members Eric Healy and Aaron Maughan both excelled at the Grappling Industries Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament, with Healy securing second place and Maughan earning a silver medal in his category. Next up is the Shamrock Box Cup, where Carson, Ryan, and Sean Cogil are all aiming for gold.

As part of the Afro-Irish Festival and Africa Day celebrations, children from 6th class and 2nd class from St. Catherine’s NS performed in The Lark, Balbriggan. They performed some African drumming, African chanting and danced to Waka Waka This is Africa. The school band also performed Massive Attacks’s Teardrop!

On Friday 24th of May, St. Catherine’s NS hosted an extremely successful Multi-Cultural Day, organised by the school’s PA! This is only a sneak preview of some of the Country’s tables, the foods and the activities of the day!

A 3rd annual football friendly took place between St Caherines and St Brendan’s Loughshinny. The games were very competitive and played in the right spirit with St Brendan’s just about having the edge
Absolutely superb performance by the St Catherines boys and girls

A lot of friendships exist between children on opposing teams made for a great banter filled occasion. Roll on next year!

There has been plenty of action during the summer months with our club athletes taking part in numerous road races as well as track and field competitions. A few club members have also taken the opportunity to visit parkruns in other countries while away on holidays.

Training plans are available for all distances and many have commenced the long road towards the Dublin City Marathon in October. Our next race is the 7k Man O War round on Thursday 15th August at 7pm. Official return to training is on Tuesday 3rd September and new members are most welcome.

While the young students of JUNSA Taekwondo are on their summer break, our more advanced students are still upping their game for an upcoming tournament in Ireland.

The Korean ambassadors cup will take place in Dublin after the summer.

Junsa Taekwondo will be recruiting for the start of September classes.

Sport Ireland announced HER Outdoors Week on 12- 18 August 2024 to encourage more females to get out and enjoy the benefits of outdoor physical activity. Takemusu Aikido Society will mark this week with a free outdoor session on Saturday, 17 August from 2 to 3:30 pm at the football pitch near Martello Tower in Balbriggan.

Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art known for its harmonious circular movement, integration with a partner and non-violent approach to executing techniques. Many people heard of it, some of them have seen or even tried it, but only a few know that Aikido is not just a fancy hand-twisting, but a sophisticated system based on the movements of Japanese sword. All aikido techniques can be explained in terms of Japanese fencing art and the other way around because the movements, which are based on swords and which are based on empty-handed techniques are blended together and this blending creates the essence of aikido. Aikido practitioners must feel the same harmony in movements if they hold a sword or staff or have no weapons. Therefore, a person should not depend on the weapons but on independence of action developed through continuous practice.

In traditional schools, students start learning aikido by studying the principles of the sword. This helps them better understand the concepts of maintaining a stable posture and executing coordinated movements. These principles are then applied to empty-handed techniques and, later, to techniques involving staff.

Participants of the outdoor aikido session on Saturday, August 17th will have the opportunity to learn the basics of Japanese sword techniques that are applicable to aikido practice. Highly-qualified instructor, who has spent years in Japan studying aikido from direct students of the aikido founder, will be teaching the session.

On the next day, Sunday, 18 August the Takemusu Aikido Society will be at one of the information stands during the Balbriggan Beach Festival from 12 pm to 4 pm. Take the chance to ask any questions at the stand or even try aikido yourself at the free come-and-try session from 2:15pm to 3:45pm.

St Mary’s Baton Twirlers were thrilled when 12 members of the local Balbriggan club qualified along with Clareville Baton Twirlers and Twilight Baton Twirlers to make up the 40 strong Team Ireland who competed at 2024 EFBT European Championship in Czech Republic in early July.

Team Ireland placed 3rd in the Nations Cup and took home numerous awards. St. Mary’s athletes took home three gold, two silver and two Bronze medals as well as three 4th, four 6th sand two 7th places.
The club is now taking names for 3 new teams: Girls and boys born in 2017; Girls and boys born in 2015 and Girls and boys born in 2013.

Classes which return in September. Please contact 086-3270636 by text or WhatsApp for further details.

Regular training took place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays this month. All students are training really well with an eye on grading at either the JKS National Grading in Drumcondra or at the Club grading next month. The grading’s for new belts are important milestones for each student as they become more proficient at their Karate practice.

We linked in with our JKS Tallaght friends for a fundraising Bag pack for the JKS Ireland Squad members (some who are from JKS Swords), going to Japan in July for the World Karate Championships. We did really well and the funds will go directly to the Squad members to help them with the expenses of this trip.

This month (May), we are delighted to host Masao Kagawa Shihan, 9th Dan JKS, for a three-day seminar. Kagawa Shihan is the World Chief Instructor of JKS Karate and we are very fortunate that he visits Ireland once a year. Over the three days, Kagawa Shihan will instruct members of JKS Swords and other JKS clubs in many technical aspects of karate. He will also conduct Dan grading’s (Black Belt examinations) and Qualifications in areas such as Judging and Refereeing. A full report of the Seminar will follow in next month’s edition of our Club news.

Our Club is always looking for new members (Children, Young People & Adults). Contact Dermot on 087-8073885 for details on how to join our club. You can also contact us on Facebook: JKS Swords Karate Club or on Instagram: @jks_swords_karate_club

Summer is here and this is an opportunity to say a big thank you to our hardworking coaches who should now be taking a well-deserved break after a hectic few months. Congratulations to our juvenile relay teams on their recent success and after Ireland’s fabulous performances at the European Championships we expect relay events to be even more popular. Well done to everyone who has participated in some of the many races and field events that have taken place over the last few months. Registration is now open for the 7k Man O’War Round on 15th August. This is becoming more popular each year so sign up soon to avoid disappointment.

With the warm weather and long evenings and no competitions over the summer Junsa Taekwondo’s beginners and intermediate classes will be taking a short break but our older and more experienced students will be still training over the summer months.

In the coming weeks we will be advertising for new students to come and join our teams.

If you are looking to just have fun and get fit , you are welcome.
If you want to learn a new sport or discipline, you are welcome.
If you are someone who has done taekwondo at any level, you are welcome.

Our coaches have experience of teaching all ages and at every level and at all the many disciplines of Olympic taekwondo.Please take a look at some of our photos from past and present.