Donabate Local V7I5-JUNE 2023

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Let us appreciate the great work in the community/voluntary sector

We woke up this morning to a bright day and yet do we really appreciate it? No, I am not going to pontificate about religion or nature. Neither are in my realm of thought instead I am thinking of appreciation in general. As a community based magazine group we really do deeply appreciate all out contributors and advertisers without whom the magazines would not be possible. But we also appreciate all the great work that is being done in Fingal by the community/voluntary and charitable sector. We also appreciate the work of carers who sometime are unpaid and to be honest cannot be paid enough for the love and care they give. The recent Darkness into Light Walk brought out people from all sectors of our community. All religions and none, all colours and races, coming together to support those who need it. This showed what community is all about. This showed an appreciation of life, of our own health and happiness and the care for the well being and happiness of others. Only last century we as a society treated people with mental illness as those who should be hidden away, thank God that is not the case today. Today the community sector has hundreds of groups working in that area appreciating those people and caring for them. That is the essence of community, that is about doing all you can to help others whether they have a mental or physical illness. Whether they are elderly, infirm, depressed or just plain lonely we all have a duty to and should support them. So all we can say is get involved in your community. Whether that is in sport, which helps our mental and physical health. Or maybe in one of the many wonderful voluntary, or charitable groups we have in Fingal and do your bit to show you appreciate all that life has given you. The rewards you will get cannot be measured in coins and notes but will be measured in the good mental and physical health you personally will gain from such work. Have a wonderful June, and appreciate it!

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D/P Dramatic Society back on stage with a successful production

Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society is delighted with the success of their latest production, the hilarious comedy ‘Last of the Red Hot Lovers’ by Neil Simon, held in Donabate Parish Hall at the beginning of May. This production was particularly special for DPDS as it paid tribute to a valued late member and good friend of the Society, Gerry McGuire. A mentor and supporter who, for over twenty years, helped to develop and grow the society. The production brought together a mix of long-time and new members who kept the audience hooked from beginning to end. The brilliant performances were filled with laughter, good humour, and entertainment. From the performers to the crew and the volunteers, everyone worked tirelessly to bring the play to life. Paul Keogh, director of the production, is very proud of the result: “The “HECTIC” is all finished now, thank God, but I’m already missing it really! What a brilliant cast I got to work with, it was a joy. Two first timers on our Donabate stage – Emily McClenahan and Miriam Dowdall; Peter Finnegan carrying off the biggest part he’s done with aplomb, and finally Lisa Buckley with a long-awaited return to acting with DPDS having directed in our first two post Covid productions. These four and their hard work are what earned all the wows we got from our

audience; loads of locals but also fabulous to see a big bunch of our friends from Skerries and Rolestown as well as many from “further out the road”. I can’t thank everyone involved in this production enough. They worked together seamlessly to bring the production to life. I’m honoured to have been involved with DPDS!” The Society is now looking forward to building upon this success and creating more exciting performances in the future and is now going to resume their weekly workshops in preparation for upcoming projects. “We are delighted with the success of our recent production of Neil Simon’s Last of the Red Hot Lovers in the Donabate Parish Hall. The support received from the local community, our Patrons, and Sponsors is gratefully appreciated. We look forward to preparing for our summer project as part of The Bleeding Pig Festival and a production in the Autumn! As always, new members are welcome both on stage and off!” said Áine Dilleen, newly elected Chairperson of the Society. If you want to become a member or a patron of DPDS do not hesitate to contact donabateportrane.drama@ gmail.com. And don’t forget to follow Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society on Facebook and Instagram!

You Need To Know Your Cover Details

By Dave Kavanagh

Having appropriate cover in place for you and your family is obviously important, whether it is Life Cover, Serious Illness Cover or Income Protection. What is equally as important, is knowing the details of the cover that you have in place. As time moves on and circumstances change, what was relevant for you 5 years ago, may not now be appropriate for your needs. I remember giving a talk to a group of about 50 parents, all of whom raised their hands to signal that they all had cover in place. I then asked how many of them knew (without needing to divulge to the group) which Life Company their cover was with, how much was the monthly premium and what the levels of cover were? Of the 50 parents present, not one of them raised a hand, despite paying for these plans for a number of years. Simple changes in circumstances can make it crucial to review cover details. Starting new employment that may include a multiple of annual salary as a death in service benefit, as well as income protection and a pension, could mean that other cover in place could be reduced or removed. The reverse is often seen where someone had great benefits attached to their employment but then moved to a job that does not provide any benefits at all and had not considered that they need to arrange their own cover.

Another issue that people are often not aware of, is whether any cover they have has a Conversion Option. This is an option that allows people to convert to a new, longer term plan, without any further evidence of medical health. This can be crucial if a plan is reaching maturity or if someone has experienced adverse health issues, where they may not be accepted for cover due to their new medical history or may be subject to restrictions and/or premium loadings. Having the ability to exercise a Conversion Option allows you to “future proof” cover to suit your specific circumstances. While not a fun exercise, making some time at least once per year to review the details of any cover you have in place can be a valuable exercise. If you’re unsure about some of the details, contact your advisor.

Dave Kavanagh QFA has been advising people financially for over 25 years. For quotes or information (with no cost or obligation) he can be contacted by emailing info@financialcompanion. ie or use the contact form on financialcompanion. ie or @Davekav_advice on Twitter and Instagram. Combined with his previous role of gym/nutrition adviser, he regularly gives talks and workshops at seminars and events for groups, companies and government departments on financial wellbeing, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM , LMFM and TV3.

Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed Visit to Áras an Uachtaráin

The most recent highlight for Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed was our visit to Áras an Uachtaráin, where 16 members enjoyed the hospitality and the tour for three hours. Unfortunately, President Higgins was not there during our visit but that was more than made up for by Corporal Tommy Martin, Aide de Camp, who guided us on an entertaining and informative tour of the house and grounds. He regaled us

with stories about the history of the building, often embellished with personal anecdotes, and answered our many questions with patience. When he asked if any of us played piano, Peter Cooney stepped forward and gave us a wonderful rendition of Elton John’s “Song for Guy” on the grand piano. It will be hard to match this special occasion, but further trips are being planning.

In addition to these occasional outings, the Men’s Shed members enjoy are regular weekly activities – exercise classes (Mondays), croquet at Newbridge House (Tuesdays), music jam sessions (Wednesdays) and get-together for tea and chat (Thursday). If you would like to join us, please call our PRO, Jim, on 086-3694316. You will be given a warm welcome.

The Leinster Pipe Band Championships – A great success!

The Leinster Pipe Band Championships were held in Newbridge House, Donabate on Saturday, 6th May. Bands from the four corners of Ireland travelled to Donabate - from Cork (Youghal Pipe Band), to Wexford (New Ross & District Pipe Band), Donegal (Letterkenny & District Pipe Band) and Down (Down Academy Pipes & Drums, Moneygore Pipe Band and Closkelt Pipe Band). In total, twelve bands competed for the title of Leinster Pipe Band Champions. The other bands were Arklow Pipe Band (Co. Wicklow), Killeshin Pipe Band (Co. Carlow), St. Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band (Maynooth), St. Joseph’s Pipe Band (Clondalkin), Black Raven Pipe Band (Lusk) and Irvine Memorial Pipe Band (Clabby, Co. Fermanagh). When all the bands had competed, they paraded into the central area in front of the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Howard Mahony. A lament was played by Paul Russell from Black Raven Pipe Band for members who had passed since our last meeting, with particular tribute to members of the Closkelt Pipe Band, who had recently suffered a bereavement and still made the journey to compete. The much anticipated results were announced with the Leinster title going to Moneygore Pipe Band (Grade 4B), New Ross &

District Pipe Band (Grade 4A), St. Joseph’s Pipe Band (Grade 2) and St. Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band (Grade 1).

Our thanks to Fingal County Council, for both the venue and financial support without which we could not have the Championships. The attendance on the day was approximately 1,500 which we were all absolutely delighted with. We cannot thank the staff of Newbridge House enough as they did soLeinster Pipe Band Championships – A great success! much for us and we would like to be able to hold the Championships in the grounds again next year. We would also like to thank the staff from Brambles restaurant for the delicious food and the Red Cross, while in attendance, were not needed professionally on the day. And thankfully, the weather was great, as we only got a few tiny drops at the end of the day, which makes all the difference to these outdoor competitions. To the Mayor, the staff of both Newbridge House and Fingal County Council, volunteers, helpers in any way, the bands, their families, supporters and the general public – ‘Go raibh mìle maith agaibh’.

Letterkenny & District Pipe Band Photos provided by Christy Russell.

St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band Photos provided by Christy Russell.

Closkelt Pipe Band Photos provided by Christy Russell.

New Ross & District Pipe Band Photos provided by Christy Russell.

Black Raven Pipe Band Photos provided by Christy Russell.

Youghal Pipe Band

Photos provided by Christy Russell.

St Joseph’s Pipe Band Photos provided by Christy Russell.

by Siobhan O’Neill White

With the cost of living so high, many families won’t be going on holidays this year. If you are looking for ways to keep your children entertained at home this summer, it’s a good idea to invest in some decent outdoor toys. We bought a Berg Go Kart 10 years ago and it’s still one of the most played with toys we’ve ever had. JKC Toymaster is an Irish company who deliver nationwide and have a fantastic range of outdoor toys, including Berg Trampolines, Climbing Walls, Swings and of course, Go Karts! We love to buy Irish and when you contact JKC Toymaster, you get to speak to an actual person, who is knowledgeable and helpful! We are getting a trampoline and Michael talked us through the different types and advised which is best for us. Their fantastic customer service

is much better than being connected to some random call centre thousands of miles away! See jkctoymaster.ie/ or contact 06731391 or info@ jkctoymaster.ie / or jkctoymaster@gmail.com.

Sunday 18th June is Father’s Day! We love giving personalised gifts and wanapix.ie/ has a great range to choose from. Their site is easy to use and has a wide range of gifts for Dads, Grandads and any Father Figures you want to celebrate. My kids personalised a t-shirt and water bottle for their Dad for Father’s Day. They are things he will use and also, fun because the kids got to personalise them with pictures and funny sayings. Wanapix has lots of other cool gift ideas, like mouse mats, beer tankards and personalised gift boxes. Whether you have €10 or €100 to spend, there is of course something on there for every budget and every type of Dad!

Gardening is another great idea for keeping the kids busy this summer! It may sound crazy, but getting them involved in creating a vegetable patch or planting wild flowers to help the bees are projects kids love to get stuck into. Niall and the experienced team in Black’s Garden Centre are a mind of information when it comes to gardening projects, you can pop into them for a chat or you can check them out on facebook at facebook.com/BlacksGardenCentre/ or you can also contact blacksgardencentre.com/. They also do gift vouchers for Father’s day gifting! If you are looking to sign your child up for a summer camp, we really like Carlingford Adventure Summer Camps. There is so much to do, from kayaking to ziplines to laser combat! The children will never be bored there ! Do check them out and see carlingfordadventure.com.

CommunityLocals.ie

Gaelscoil na Mara & Tidy Towns - Ag fás le chéile

Tús maith, leath na hoibre a deirtear agus tá páistí Gaelscoil na Mara, le cabhair ó Bailte Slachtmhara ag cuir cruth deas ar Gáirdín na Scoile. Over the last number of months Gaelscoil na Mara has worked in partnership with Tidy Towns establishing an allotment on the school grounds. Six 10×5 ft raised beds were built and the pupils immediately set about planting potatoes and onions and shoots are already starting to appear. The pupils were also busy in the classroom sowing lolla rossa, strikeforce, crisphead, Swiss chard, beetroot and spinach and brassicas of cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Kale and Broccoli which will be ready for planting outdoors over the next number of weeks. A large fruit garden was also planted with nearly thirty fruit bushes including raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, rhubarb, cranberries, blueberries and strawberries which should start bearing fruit over the next year.The pupils in the school have full responsibility for the sowing, planting, watering,

feeding and in time, harvesting of the produce with a ‘farm to fork’ approach. Making food from the produce will also be an important aspect of the allotment, e.g. making jams from the fruit or Brussels sprouts for Christmas dinner. The school community is very aware of the benefits of food production and outdoor education on the physical and mental health of the pupils.

Tá na páistí ag foghlaim sa rang faoi na glasraí, torthaí, plandaí agus cad as a dtagann ár soláthar bídh. Bhí sceitimíní ar cách nuair a bhí seans ag na páistí prataí agus oinniúin a chur le cabhair agus súl saineolaí Tidy Towns. Ár mbuíochas le gach éinne a chabhraigh chun ár ngáirdín a chruthú. Táimid an brodúil as an comhoibriú pobail a bhí i gceist chun an tionscadal seo a chuir le chéile. Ba mhaith linn buíochas a ghabhail go mór mhór le Cairde na Scoile agus Tidy Towns Donabate as an pleanáil, soláthar trealaimh agus tacaíocht airgeadais chun an tionscadal seo a thabhairt chun críche . Táimid ag súil go mór torthaí ár saothair a bhlaiseadh.

Comhaltas Leithinis is going from strength to strength!

Leithinis current term of traditional Irish music classes is proving a great hit in Donabate Portrane Educate Together National School. Leithinis CCÉ provides weekly lessons in Tin Whistle, Fiddle, Flute, Bodhrán, Accordion, Banjo, Mandolin and Concertina. We would like to welcome our new students and we were delighted to see some of them participate at the fortnightly Friday NIght Music Gathering which takes place in Donabate Parish Hall. The Session is going from strength to strength with increasing numbers of experienced musicians participating and for the rest of the year, takes place on the first Tuesday of every month. All are welcome to come along and listen.

Johnston welcomes news of the Turvey Avenue Enhancement Scheme

Corina Johnston Labour Party Area Representative welcomes the announcement by Fingal County Council of its intention to commence, by late Summer this year, the badly needed and long overdue Turvey Avenue Enhancement Scheme. Johnston said; “This information was given at a recent Council meeting in response to the following question submitted by my colleague Cllr Rob O’Donoghue on my behalf and is subject to a procurement competition and the appointment of a suitable contractor.

The Council’s reply stated: Tender documents for the procurement of a Contractor are expected to issue to the market this month. Following appointment of the Contractor, works will commence with a target start date on site in late summer. Timelines are subject to a successful procurement competition and appointment of a suitable contractor. Johnston said;”A far back as 2019 Fingal County Council’s

Turvey Avenue Enhancement Project went through a public consultation process and the scheme was subsequently approved by the Council. The Council position however was that this scheme would be included with the Portrane Road Scheme (Adjacent to the Boys and Girls Primary Schools) as part of a single tender process. This position was unacceptable as it was obvious that it would take much longer to reach agreement for the Portrane Road Scheme and therefore delay the Turvey Scheme even further. “

Johnston added; “I am delighted that the council have taken on board our views and are now seeking tenders for a single project. The contents of Scheme include: (1) 115×2m footpath Northern Side of Turvey Ave, (2) Road resurfacing.

(3) Provision of uncontrolled pedestrian crossing. (4) Re positional of existing bus stop on southern side. (5) Provision of new road gullies to improve drainage.

A busy month for Active Age for All

May has been a very busy month for AAfA hosting events in Donabate/Portrane Community Centre. We had a presentation from Danielle Monahan of the Healthy Age Friendly Homes Programme. The aim of this organisation, which is part of Fingal County Council, is “to support older people to live in their own home with dignity and independence for as long as possible” It was a most interesting presentation and she gave us very useful information about grants and supports available to the older person. We were

delighted to finally host the Rosemount Singers from Julianstown for our Bealtaine Festival event, the Bealtaine Miscellany. They were joined by our own singing group the Caintóirí and Peig McManus and the writers from the Chinkwell Writers group. The Bealtaine Festival celebrates creativity in the older person. Both events were very well supported by our members and enjoyed by all. The Caintóirí were pleased to be invited to Malahide to join MARA - Malahide Active Retirement Assoc - and the Bealtaine Poetry

Group in their Bealtaine celebration in Malahide Library which proved to be a great success on a most enjoyable morning. Classes are now finished for the summer, but your hard working committee is already planning for September. We are also in the final stages of designing our new website, so watch this space! As always if you need information about AAfA or you would like to join us please email us at activeageforall@ gmail.com or check us out on our website activeageforall.com TEXT only 0868806808

The 2nd Caintóirí & Rosemount singers together at the Bealtaine Miscellany.

Rosemount Singers at the Bealtaine Miscellany

The audience at the Bealtaine Miscellany

Enjoying a cup of tea and a chat after Healthy Homes Presentation

Danielle Monahan’s presentation

The Caintoiri sing at the Bealtaine Miscellany

Ever increasing demand for use of the Parish Hall

The Parish Hall have been working hard at finalising the Programme for next year with daily activities like Irish Dance, Cards and Parent & Baby Group and also the slots for special events like Exhibitions, Creative Camps & Drama. The

hall is becoming busier and busier with an ever expanding population and increased demand for space so it is necessary to plan well in advance for all that is happening in the hall to satisfy as best

as possible all wishes. If you have not already been contacted, please contact the Parish Office re use immediately. For those that use the hall for their activities thank you for your continuous support.

CommunityLocals.ie

Aer Lingus Lawn Bowls Club where a warm welcome awaits!

Aer Lingus Bowling club is a well established lawn bowls club. We are located in the ALSAA sports complex on the Airport road. In March we enjoyed a wonderful day to celebrate “International Women’s Day”. We had an enjoyable day where women from the local surrounding area attended our trial sessions. We had a group from Swords Women’s shed, as well as a local active age group and members of the Alsaa badminton and tennis club join us. We were also joined by Caitriona Geraghty Fingal Sports Development Officer who was supportive and encouraging of our efforts.

On May 6th and 7th we held our Open Day. This was an initiative from the Development office of Irish Lawn Bowls. The day saw

clubs across the country have people try the wonderful game of lawn bowls. A cohort across a wide variety attended on the day. We were encouraged to see children attend also. We had a very successful and enjoyable weekend. We are encouraged to see some new members join us. We will welcome a group with additional needs join us in using our facility going forward. We are a vibrant club with dedicated members. A strong emphasis is placed on social bowling. We also participate in league matches during the summer and winter leagues. In March 2023 the women’s and men’s sections merged. It is now know as The Irish Lawn Bowls Association (ILBA). Our club welcomes this forward thinking initiative. In recognition of this merger and to embrace the

exciting initiative our club has recently acquired new club shirts. Previously the men and women had different shirts. We are extremely grateful to Challenge Insurance for their kind sponsorship of our new club shirts. What better way to move forward in this new era for lawn bowls in Ireland. We are always looking for new members to join is. Our “Introduction to Bowls” sessions will continue to run every Wednesday and Sunday from 11am – 1pm. Come along and try this wonderful sport. All equipment is supplied, just wear flat soled shoes on the day. We are happy to take any enquiries on the numbers listed. See our Facebook page Aer Lingus Bowling Club. Sandra 0863114540 or Des 0870678903

Summer is here with fun fruity and ‘veggie’ goodness!

Summer is here!!! Here are some funster fruity and ‘veggie’ good for us ideas for snacks or for occasions and help encourage to “choo-choo” choose more fruit and vegetables ! Have fun with it and get younger people involved. Use the imagination and let the creativity flow as this makes it more likely to be enjoyable for all. It is also a great way to increase exposure and familiarity to healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables, even if an individual is just looking and touching certain foods but not comfortable tasting them yet!

For the”choo-choo” Choose More Vegetables Train

I used carrot batons for the train track, peppers as the carriages and cucumber as the train wheels held in by cocktail sticks (be careful of children with cocktail sticks).Fill the carriages with hummus, salsa, guacamole or other vegetables or fruit!

For the Sleeping Star Melon Cradle

Use star or other shaped cookie cutters to make shapes with fruit and/or vegetables. I used various types of melon, colourful peppers and pineapple in this image.

The sleeping baby inside is an orange with a soother and eyes drawn on using marker!

Please follow ‘Biabites’ on Facebook for other food ideas especially in the ‘Fun food’ and ‘Recipes’ albums.Please follow@ BiaBites on twitter. For nutrition talks/workshops at events or in schools/workplaces/community groups=please email arthursniamh@gmail.com Niamh Arthurs BSc, Msc .Registered Dietitian and Researcher

Peninsula Pacers went to Poolbeg Lighthouse

The Peninsula Pacers recently went out to the Pool beg Lighthouse for a long walk. We left Donabate Train Station at about 10am for Sandymount Train Station and started our walk through Sandymount Village crossing the road near the Strand then hugging the coast headed out to the Lighthouse. While the day was not the best it rained a bit and was a bit misty, we got a good walk in and ended up back in a great pub in the heart of Sandymount Village for some superb grub at good prices! We may take a break over the summer months but hope to be for our walk around the Peninsula in September to coincide with the Bleeding Pig Festiva back l Trad Event at the Brook Pub in Portrane where good pizzas are also to be had! If you are interested and wish to contact the Pacers contact Des on 087 7846813 or Carolyn on 087 9284307.

This is easy… we are offering you the chance to win €50. All you have to do is correctly fill in the crossword and discover the name of an area in Fingal spelt out in the coloured squares. Then send the completed crossword and your answer by email, with your name, address and telephone number to communitylocals@ gmail.com before 5pm on the 16th of this mnoth. The first correct entry to be drawn will win €50..Good luck

Across

1. Free from roughness. (6)

5. Accept to be true without proof. (6)

10. Capable of reasoning in an orderly fashion. (7)

11. Large champion of the Philistines in the Bible. (7)

12. Wind into rings or spirals. (4)

13. Houses for families. (5)

15. Securely fixed in place. (4)

17. Entered into marriage. (3)

19. A maxim, proverb. (6)

21. Flat-bottomed boats for carrying heavy loads. (6)

22. Rolled and turned smoothly in gymnastics. (7)

23. Come to pass, occur. (6)

25. Large Asian endangered felines. (6)

28. The part of a sofa that supports the elbow. (3)

30. Noisy, clamorous. (4)

31. The food of love. (5)

32. A travelling show. (4)

35. Our second language. (7)

36. Nationality of a native of Naples. (7)

37. The person in charge of a publication. (6)

38. Breathed noisily, as when one is exhausted. (6)

Down

2. Enlarge in size or significance. (7)

3. Bad guys in Lord of the Rings. (4)

4. A small valley between mountains. (6)

5. Verbally disagreed. (6)

6. The lone fish. (4)

7. The message that is intended. (7)

8. Particular regions. (6)

9. Short poems for children. (6)

14. Projecting body parts. (7)

16. Go into, make a record of. (5)

18. Wireless transmission and reception (5)

20. Portable weapon. (3)

21. Place a stake on an outcome. (3)

23. Aided, assisted. (6)

24. Fell abruptly. (7)

26. Consider in detail, question closely. (7)

27. Reduced in size. (6)

28. Professional writer of books. (6)

29. Blending into one mass. (6)

33. An indirect suggestion. (4)

34. Star rodents. (4)