With regard to Slí na Sláinte routes, Covid and some other delays made it difficult for progress to be made and impediments to be removed, for safe and acceptable routes to be put in place on our Peninsula.

Just before Covid, The Irish Heart Foundation had worked with an ad-hoc local committee, drawn from different groups in the community along with some officials in The Parks Dept in FCC, in identified a suitable Slí na Sláinte route in and around Donabate Village & Newbridge Park.

But there were 3 impediments to the establishment of the route.

Turvey: Had no proper footpath or safe crossing into Newbridge Park on Turvey Avenue. There is now a new wide continuous footpath along the northern side of Turvey Avenue leading to the centre of the village. In addition, traffic lights have been installed and a crossing provided for pedestrians to enter & exit Newbridge Park at the Turvey Gate.

Links: There has been traffic lights installed for pedestrians at the entrance to the Links - to allow safe crossing of the Portrane Rd.

Ballisk & Beaverstown: This junction is known as ‘The Hand’ and over the last few weeks a footpath has been put in there, on the corner extending down into Ballisk & down the Beaverstown Rd. This was the most important junction to be sorted in terms of safety in crossing this road. So, hopefully it is now.

At this point, there have been some changes in personnel in all of these bodies, but one would be confident that with all of the obstacles gone that the new personnel will come together to ensure this Slí na Sláinte route is put in place and will be the start of many for walkers, joggers & runners in the Donabate & Portrane area. All Slí na Sláinte routes are not always suitable for wheelchair & buggy users, but this one is! Hopefully, in the future it will be possible to have some ‘braille trails’ in our area given the number of people living in our community who are visually impaired.

These routes are very pertinent at the moment with the drive toward Get Ireland Active etc. This is a project one trusts that FCC officials & local councillors will support and ensure succeeds!