Donabate Local V7I6-JULY 2023

Summer is well and truly here having been heralded by that few weeks of really hot weather in June. Now as ever, we are hoping for furthers bouts of gorgeous heat as the workers in our local Community/Voluntary/Charitable organisations prepare for and organise day events, weekend events and festivals across Fingal. Not forgetting of course our sporting organisations who are organising Summer Camps, competitions and challenges and lots of activities raising much needed funds for all the groups. As always every summer brings with it health warnings and words of caution. Fingal County Council have issued their annual caution regarding water safety on our beaches. The HSE have issued warnings regarding sunburn and the Gardai have issued warnings about road safety. All in all a lot of people are involved in trying to ensure we have an enjoyable, happy and safe summer, so let us do our best to stay safe and enjoy it. Some of us are planning to go abroad, others are having a staycation in our own beautiful country and where better to spend it than on the beaches and in the towns and villages of the Fingal area. Picnic days out at Swords or Malahide Castle or on the beach at Balbriggan or Donabate or lazy days exploring the Lusk/Rush area. Wherever you go or whatever you are doing or planning to do this Summer please enjoy yourselves but be careful especially when motoring to and from your venue. Also this Summer we have to remember to look in on and help our elderly and disabled neighbours. We always hear that advice in the wintertime but surely it is just as relevant in the summertime whether they get too cold or too hot does not matter. What does matter is that we continue to stay safe and healthy and support all of our community including our retailers, hoteliers and everyone in our tourist industry. That includes those who sell T shirts, shorts, sun block, sun glasses, after sun, sun hats,etc oh and not forgetting ice cream. So enjoy July with your family and friends, lets hope it has wonderful sunshine, but lets be careful out there.

The Locals Team.

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Johnston calls for urgent works at the Hearse Road in Donabate

Corina Johnston, Local Area Representative is calling for the bad bend road realignment works on the Hearse Road to urgently proceed. Johnston said; “ The bad bend on the Hearse Road, Donabate is a notorious accident black spot with many regular road traffic incidents resulting in numerous injuries, and sadly a fatality on this stretch of road. “

Johnston continued;”In October 2019 Fingal County Council’s Hearse Road Bend Realignment project went through a public consultation process and was approved by the council in 2020.”

Johnston added;”Ever since we have highlighted the need for this project to commence on health and safety grounds. In response Fingal County Council have recently informed us that “This project will be assessed for consistency with the Donabate Distributor Road Phase 2 (Donabate- Lissenhall) project. A consultant is currently being appointed to begin the feasibility and

options assessment process for this project, and options for implementation will follow on over the course of the next 12-18 months.” Johnston said;” While welcoming the upcoming feasibility and options assessment for the much needed Hearse Road upgrade it is obvious to me that this major project is at least a decade away. On health and safety grounds we cannot wait for that length of time before resolving the issue at this location. Last week another traffic accident occurred at this bend which reinforces the need for action. “

Johnston concluded; “On health and safety grounds It is totally unacceptable that this stand alone scheme approved by the council in 2020 is now being considered as part of the main Hearse Road upgrade project which is many years away. This position is totally unacceptable and we intend to pursue it until this urgent scheme is prioritised and approved by Fingal County Council.”

Men’s Shed saddened by passing of healthy eating course tutor

Members of Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Aideen Hoey last month. Despite a break in our activities because so many members were away, a few of us were able to attend her funeral mass in the Church of the Nativity, Beaumont to say a final farewell to our friend and to express our condolences to her family. In 2019, Aideen delivered two HSE-sponsored Healthy Eating courses to members of our shed. She is fondly remembered not just for

the professional, informative and entertaining delivery of the courses, but more importantly for her good humour and ability to join in with the banter of the Shed. Aideen will be sadly missed by all who knew her. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam.

After a short break last month, Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed is resuming our normal activities this month. Anyone interested in joining us should contact our PRO, Jim, on 086-3694316.

Why Making Time For Budgeting Is Important

By Dave Kavanagh

Considering almost every aspect of your life is connected to your finances on some level, it’s important to make time to review your budgeting, especially as it could leave you with more money left over each month. A few practical tips:

(1) Carefully study 3 months’ bank statements. Make sure that you can account for every single transaction. On a regular basis, I encounter people who have been paying for things that they should not be, direct debits they forgot to cancel.

(2) Make a detailed list for grocery shopping (and don’t shop while hungry). This leads to only buying what you actually need, a lower bill at the till and less throwing out of food gone off.

(3) Compare before you shop for larger items. Just because one store has a fridge you want reduced from €950 to €850 in their “Sale”, does not mean another store nearby that does not currently have a sale on, is not selling the same one for €799.

(4) Compare utility providers. Whether it’s electricity, gas, broadband, mobile phone service or similar, there can be substantial savings to be had by switching to better deals.

(5) Check when car/house insurance renewals arrive. Don’t automatically accept a renewal premium without checking around. A few phone calls could save you hundreds of euro.

(6) Review premiums on life cover/mortgage protection/serious illness cover. Especially if you arranged it directly with a bank or insurance company that could not compare. Do an exercise where you track spending for one month. In over 25 years of helping people with their finances, I have never seen anyone NOT make savings by doing the above. If anyone would like the free budget spreadsheet in excel format that will calculate totals as you input them, just email info@financialcompanion.ie with Budget in the subject line. Happy saving!

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 Dave at 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 well being, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM , LMFM and TV3.

Pacers in Skerries - Next Walk Peninsula of Donabate/Portrane

A beautiful walk was held recently in Skerries - from the Train Station to the Old Mill for Coffee & Market - then out to the coast along the promenade up around Red Island and then a lovely lunch and walk back to the Train Station - the walk was about 8km a slightly shorter route than usual but great! Our next walk is on Saturday 9th September - and is our original Peninsula Pacers walk around the Parish starting in Donabate Village, Corballis, Tower Bay, Portrane Green, (& The

Burrow for a longer route) ending up in The Brook Pub. The walk is planned again to coincide with the Bleeding Pig Cultural Festival which has Traditional Music & a Ceile on that afternoon at their Pizza & Pint event. Last year the walk & the ceile were great craic in the beautiful sunshine enjoyed by all young & older! Contact Carolyn on 087 9284307 or Des on 087 7846813 for further information re Peninsula Pacers and types of walks to suit you!

CommunityLocals.ie

Active Age for All Camera Club in Malahide Castle

On Friday 2d June the Active Age for All camera club went on a field photographic trip to Malahide Castle. The day was overcast but, most importantly, dry and warm and we spent a happy 3 hours or so around the grounds, the gardens and the butterfly house. The butterfly house is very warm and humid so it takes a while for the camera lenses to acclimatise and stop fogging up, but it’s well worth the wait as there is a lovely selection of different butterflys. Unfortunately the

Castle itself was closed for filming (ironically) that day so we had to content ourselves with the outdoors. The trip gave us the opportunity to practise different camera settings and photography styles from Landscape to Macro (close-up) and to sharpen our ‘camera eye’. We finished up with lunch in the Avoca cafe, all in all a very enjoyable trip. There are already plans afoot for the next outing.

At the moment, AAFA is on a well deserved holiday, but your hard

working Committee is still working away on your behalf planning for September. Our new Programme will be available in August. Croquet and Boules still continues on the usual days and is enjoyed by many enthusiasts,and Paul is running his normal Pilates class independly for the summer but not under AAfA banner. We would like to Congratulate Peig McManus on the successful publication of her new book ‘I Will Be Good’ her Dublin memoir What a great achievement,

it is a brilliant funny book! We are very proud of her! Peig (pictured below) was one of the founding members of Active Age and it’s first Chairperson, she is one of our staunchest supporters. We are very grateful for all she did for AAfA and we are delighted at her success! If you are interested in joining AAfA or are looking for information please email activeageforall@gmail.com or see our website activeageforall.com Or Text only 0868806808.

Parish Hall is getting ready for the sunshine!

Donabate Parish Hall has the Programme for Daily Users e.g Cards, Senior Citizens, Wellness Group, Irish Dance just organised. The Block Users Programme is also just organised at this point e.g: Photography Exhibition, Dramatic Society Plays and Youth Camps. Both Daily Users and Block Users programme of activities and events will run for the remainder of the year 2023 & until the summer of 2024. If you are interested in either Daily or Block bookings please contact the

Parish Office immediately - as there may be some limited availability that would suit your needs. We accept bookings from groups or individuals - our main focus is on serving the increasing requirements of our growing community. The Parish Hall recently had the local Irish Traditional Music Comhaltas Branch - Leithinis CCÉ using the outside space for a music event in a gazebo! Please do not hesitate re any query to contact the Parish Office 018434574.

Cathal BOLAND

Donabate/Portrane Tidy Towns clean up of the local cemetery

Donabate/Portrane Tidy Towns were busy over the last number of months doing a clear out along the perimeter walls and the hedging and ditch areas behind the cemetery. Over the years, these areas had become a bit of a dumping ground for a lot of waste plastic materials from the graves and had accumulated to an unsightly mess. Many volunteers spent a number of evenings emptying the ditches of refuse and bringing it to the front of the cemetery for collection by Fingal County Council. The rubbish collected was primarily plastic flowers, candles, grave ornaments and grave maintenance items, such as paint and left

over marble. There was however evidence of domestic waste dumped with full rubbish bags, parts from chairs and suitcases among what was removed.

Quite often these ditches were water logged and not very accessible but perseverance saw the clear out through to the end and we would like to thank all volunteers who participated in the clean up.

As a result of the clean up, the hedgerows and ditches have become a more pleasant home for some of the plants and animals that may call this area of Donabate their home. Hedgehogs,

badgers, foxes, birds, insects, etc do not have to be moving, feeding and living in an area with large sacks of rubbish and bits of plastic from the cemetery. We hope wildlife and biodiversity will improve as a result. There are two rubbish bays located in the cemetery, one in the middle part at the top perimeter wall and the second just on the right hand side as you enter and we would ask all visitors visiting the cemetery to leave any refuse in one of those bays for collection by Fingal County Council. Our pictures show the same spaces before and after the clean up, well done to all concerned.

Cllr Adrian Henchy is the new Mayor of Fingal

Fingal has a new leader after Cllr Adrian Henchy (Fianna Fáil) was elected by fellow Councillors recently to become the region’s 18th Mayor. Originally from Portrane, and representing the Rush-Lusk electoral area, he joined Fingal as a Councillor in 2014.

From his role as a Councillor to his involvement in numerous local initiatives, Mayor Henchy’s focus has always been on making a positive difference in the lives of the people he serves. A dedicated health professional with a passion for public service, he said he is ready to usher in a new era of progress, collaboration, and innovative leadership for the County. Henchy succeeds Cllr Howard Mahony, who handed over the chains of office at today’s AGM.

In securing the role as Mayor, Cllr Henchy was nominated by Cllr Eoghan O’Brien (FF) who said it was a privilege and an honour to nominate him for the position.The nomination was seconded by Cllr Brian Dennehy (FF).

“I am humbled to have been elected to serve in this prestigious post,” said Mayor Adrian Henchy. “I am committed to working tirelessly to build a stronger, more inclusive, and vibrant Fingal. Together, with the support of our community, we can achieve great things and help build a

Fingal that thrives economically, socially, and environmentally. I would particularly like to focus on delivering more houses, not just the bricks and mortar of the homes themselves but also ensuring we are building sustainable communities around them.”

Cllr Grainne Maguire (Ind, Balbriggan) will serve as Deputy Mayor of Fingal for the second time. She was nominated by Cllr Tony Murphy (Independent) and seconded by Cllr Karen Power (Green Party Comhaontas Glas). Joining as a Balbriggan Councillor in 2013, Cllr Maguire had previously served on Balbriggan Town Council from 2009. She has extensive experience in local government and is a well-known figure in Ireland’s youngest town for the work she does across many different groups and for her passion around local issues.

At the AGM, praise was given to the outgoing Mayor and also to Deputy Mayor, Cllr Cathal Boland, for their unwavering service to the people of Fingal across the last year.A strong advocate of Dublin 15, former Mayor, Cllr Howard Mahony, has undertaken a large number of activities during his term, attending 365 community and Council related events across the year.

Leithinis Juniors great session with Craobh Cluain Tarbh

Leithinis were delighted to welcome Craobh Cluain Tarbh to Donabate for a Junior session. A great afternoon was had by all. A big thank you to Erin for leading the session. Thanks also to Derbhil and Vivienne from Cluain Tarbh for arranging and to our own Ian and Paul for organising and making sure everything ran smoothly on the day Also a shout out to the Parish Hall committee for the use of the grounds. Finally well done to all the junior musicians from both branches. The future of Comhaltas is safe in your hands See you all at the next session.

Balbriggan Cllr and new Deputy Mayor Cllr Grainne Maguire with the New Mayor of Fingal Cllr Adrian Henchy pictured after their election recently.

Newbridge House Croquet Club welcomes new members

Did you know that croquet was well known as a sport in North County Dublin? So, where did croquet come from, well that is a bit obscure but wherever it originated it was developed in Ireland in the early part of the nineteenth Century. One famous man Swords native Cyril Corbally and his brother Herbert of Rathbeale Hall, Swords were famous international croquet players, Cyril in particular winning many international tournaments. Cyril went on to help develop the game of croquet as we know it today. When he married Eleanor Colville Cobbe and moved into Newbridge House he set up the lawn to the side of Newbridge House. The croquet parties and games there soon became legendary. In 2019 the lawns were re-opened having been restored to international standard by Fingal County Council with the support of the Croquet Association of Ireland. It is now the home of Newbridge House Croquet Club, which welcomes new members.

We have a wide range of abilities in the club, with some members playing socially and for fun, while others play competitively and on the international circuit. If you wish to join us, you will be given a warm welcome. Check out the website at. nhcroquet.com or email us at nhcc@gmail.com . Sunday afternoons will generally find some members out on the lawn, and you can join us for some trial games, or email beforehand if you prefer. Membership for Year 1 is Euro 55 and all equipment is supplied free, therefore no further outlay is required. Come along to Flavours of Fingal on 1st /2nd July for a chat with some players and have a go. Our next big tournament takes place on 8th July when the Cyril Corbally Cup takes place. This will give you an opportunity to see some of the best players compete for the beautiful trophy. Come along, give croquet a go, soon you will be “jumping through hoops” and you will be hooked.

CommunityLocals.ie

Our special Club Day.

Everything stops for tea.

The Mayor of Fingal Cllr Adrian Henchy presenting Nicola Kelly winner of the Cyril Corbally Cup.

Peninsula Artists exhibition this August 26/27th

Attention local artists, do you want to show your paintings at an outdoor exhibition in donabate? We are looking for expressions of interest.Please contact our group, Peninsula Artists on this email mareseart@eircom.net

Calling all visual Artists on the Donabate/Portrane Peninsula. Whether you are Painter, Sketcher or a Doodle, we (the Peninsula Artists group) are inviting you to show your work in an open-air exhibition at “The Hand” in Donabate Village on the weekend of 26th /27th August from 11am to 5pm both days. Uisce Éireann have kindly offered the use of their railings to display your art work. All art work will be hung from the railing ONLY, safely avoiding any damage to the railings or contact with the roses underneath. There will be a nominal charge for each display space. This is to cover public liability insurance. Excess funds will be donated to the local Tidy Town Group. (The group who plant the Roses!). If you are interested in taking part, please email your expression of interest to mareseart@eircom. net.

Liffey Swimmers

Shady Rest

Hairy Beast

Behind the boat

Towards Lambay

Cliff Walk

Entertain the kids and stay sun safe this summer!

By Siobhan O’Neill White

Need inspiration for ideas to keep the kids busy this summer? Go to mams.ie, follow our socials FB @mams.ireland, Instagram @mams.ie and Twitter, @mams_ie for ideas, discounts and competitions galore. Emerald Park is open for visitors! Whether you’re brave enough to face Cu Chúllain or more comfortable visiting the zoo, it’s a fab day out. We’ve tickets to give away here: instagram.com/mams.ie/?hl=en Eddie Rockets want to help parents this summer, so every Tuesday, kids eat free! For every adult meal purchased for €12 or more, get one free child meal. To enter our Eddie’s voucher giveaway, go here: mams.ie/2023/05/16/kids-eat-free-at-eddierockets-on-tuesday-all-summer-long/ Do you need staycation inspiration?

Farnham Estate is wonderful for family breaks. Nestled in the lush Cavan countryside, it’s a haven. We love to walk the grounds and visit the stunning indoor/outdoor pool! My sister got married here and it remains a firm favourite for our family. We heard such rave reviews about Carlingford Adventure Camp from parents last year that we’ve booked our 11yr old in with her best friend for their 3 day/2 night camp. Jam packed with activities and set in beautiful Carlingford, the camps are very well priced and have residential and non-residential options available, see carlingfordadventure. com/ For days you want to chill out, ArcCinema.ie kids’ clubs are great value. We also love their family deal which includes cinema passes, popcorn and drinks for a family of 4 (2 adults & 2 kids or 1 adult & 3 kids) for only €39.95. With so many wonderful movies out this summer, there’s plenty to choose from! We recommend investing in some garden toys for the many summer days the kids will be playing at home or have friends over.

Irish company JKC Toymaster are experts in outdoor toys. Our daughters have been on our Berg trampoline non-stop since we got it. See their fab range here: jkctoymaster.ie/ Fancy a different kind of holiday - how about Glamping?! We’re heading to Ardmore Glamping Pods in beautiful Waterford. We’ve booked a large pod, which fits 7 people. Right next to the beach and Ardmore Open Farm, it’s a fabulous location. They even rent BBQ’s out so you can cook up a storm while enjoying the beautiful beach views! You can now enquire at ardmoreglampingpods.ie/ Please make sure to be sun safe this summer. We recommend Irish brand Elave SPF50 sun cream. Its brilliant for all ages. Watch our socials for giveaways on this.

ALL CONTRIBUTORS PLEASE NOTE**

Due to increasing demand for space in our magazine could all contributors please note OUR STRICT DEADLINE FOR ARTICLES AND PICS IS THE 16TH OF THE MONTH PRIOR TO PUBLICATION ** Thank you.

Home Cook Recipes Healthy

Niamh’s Rosemary, Thyme and Black Pepper Summer Chicken

Ingredients: (Serves 2 person)

• x2 Chicken Fillets or Thighs

• Handful of Cherry Tomatoes

• x2 Red Onions

• x1 Red Pepper

• x1 Yellow Pepper

For the Marinade:

• 3 Tablespoons of Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

• 1 Tablespoon of Olive oil

• 1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

• Handful of Chopped Thyme and Rosemary

Method:

1. Prepare the marinade first by combining the ingredients as above and mixing well together. Place this marinade in a sealed plastic bag with the chicken fillets/thighs to marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge. For better results leave chicken to marinade for longer.

2. Remove chicken in marinade from fridge. Preheat the oven at 200’c for 10 minutes.

3. While the oven is preheating, prepare vegetables by chopping the x2 bell peppers and lightly coating a cast iron skillet (as in image) or oven dish in olive oil.

4. Place chicken fillets/thighs, cherry tomatoes, red onions and bell peppers in the iron skillet or oven dish. Add more thyme, rosemary and black pepper over the vegetables and chicken.

5. Place into the hot oven for 35-40 minutes

at 180’c or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly and all the vegetables are roasted with a slight oven char for extra flavour.Tip: to add a burst of flavour to this dish, add a tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar after removing from the oven.

6. Serving Suggestion: Freshly steamed new potatoes or a scrumptious oven baked potato served straight from its foil would make delicious sides to accompany this wonderfully flavoured summer dish.

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

Mini all ireland hurling 2023 - the greatest.. So far

It was everything we could have asked for and more. The Gods delivered the weather because the Gods love Hurling. It was a phenomenal success filled with colour, craic, great skills, great competition, brilliant hurling, and it was really just a sight to behold. We can’t go any further without acknowledging the trojan work done by Niall and Lucy O’Connor. To have the event run in the way that it was is a testament to the spirit and effort by Niall, Lucy and all the organising committee. Thanks to The Shoreline. We continue to build a great relationship. Thanks to Joe, The Piper. Thanks to St Johns for their time

and dedication. Thanks to the crew on the shop who were flat to the mat from start to finish. Thanks to all the Mams and Dads, coaches, referees, car parking crew, our Grounds committee and all the officers who helped at different times to make it as special as it was. Thanks to Leithinis Donabate Portrane. It was a privilege to welcome you guys down and we hope to see you again. Thanks to Céire Rhein for all the quality photography. We thank all our members who attended and made the last night a rip roaring success. Finally if we can say thanks and well done to all the players. You were quite simply magnificent.

ALL CONTRIBUTORS PLEASE NOTE**

Due to increasing demand for space in our magazine could all contributors please note OUR STRICT DEADLINE FOR ARTICLES AND PICS IS THE 16TH OF THE MONTH PRIOR TO PUBLICATION ** Thank you.

WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!!

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

Across

1. Sudden feeling of excitement and pleasure. (6)

5. Wood for a cricket bat. (6)

10. There’s four each year (allegedly). (7)

11. Find by searching a closet. (7)

12. Sound like an owl. (4)

13. Reset the wood-providers. (5)

15. Form of public transport. (4)

17. Showing sorrow or unhappiness. (3)

19. Have enough money for something. (6)

21. Approval where approval is due. (6)

22. Radioactive metallic element. (7)

23. Enjoy something enormously, tremendously. (6)

25. They make for hirsute faces. (6)

28. Put into service, employ. (3)

30. A female relative. (4)

31. Up to a time that. (5)

32. Where the air is unconfined. (4)

35. A violent storm of small extent with whirling winds. (7)

36. Of greater weight. (7)

37. The form of a word that is used to denote more than one. (6)

38. Uttered a sudden loud cry. (6)

luck

Down

2. Prevent from happening. (4,3)

3. Golf club with a relatively narrow metal head. (4)

4. People who consistently fail.. (6)

5. Travelled by shank’s mare. (6)

6. A strand or cluster of hair. (4)

7. Draw out to go away from a place. (7)

8. Common respiratory disorder. (6)

9. Top clothing with a message. (1-5)

14. Not distracted by anything unrelated to the goal. (7)

16. With sincerity, without pretence. (5)

18. Carrying weapons. (5)

20. Remove the moisture from. (3)

21. An awkward and inexperienced youth. (3)

23. Recess at the end of a chimney. (6)

24. Troop leader. (7)

26. Cold-blooded animal. (7)

27. Military watcher in waiting. (6)

28. Spread out a carpet. (6)

29. Fourscore. (6)

33. Just, unbiased and blond. (4)

34. Basic brick structure. (4)

ANSWERS