PENINSULATHE NEWSLETTER OF THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL NEWS www.donabateportranecommunity.com

From the Editor With all of the hustle and bustle of Christmas upon us and another year nearly over the time has come for Annual Christmas Tree Sale reflection on what has happened in our community over in aid of Community Council the past year. A great victory for the peninsula with the Donabate Portrane Community Council will be selling decision not to locate the super sewage works in Christmas Trees on 10th and 11th December in the Portrane, the decision to locate the Central Mental grounds of St Patrick’s RC Church. hospital in Portrane, and the decision by Co. Co to All proceeds will go towards the running costs of the revisit the controversial Local Area Plan. Thankfully the Community Council. Please support your local council. roadworks have tapered off, albeit leaving our roads in a dreadful state, but we can celebrate the opening of 2 new school buildings and an all weather pitch for our community! As the effects of the economic downturn continue to bite CHRISTMAS 2011 we should be shopping local with the shops and businesses on our peninsula thus encouraging local industry and entrepreneurship. A fine example is in our very popular Saturday Donabate food and craft market and the stallholders have decided to have a special Christmas market on Saturday 10th December from 3-6pm to coincide with the ever popular Christmas lights ceremony which starts at 4.30pm with singing from the Lambay singers, so come along and show your community spirit and help make Donabate a special place to be this Christmas time.

Donabate Local Area Plan up for review Lobbying by Donabate Portrane Community Council has convinced the county council to go back and look again at the local area (LAP) plan.The current LAP was voted through by councillors despite trenchant opposition from residents in 2006. The community council was never happy with the LAP which includes provision for up to 5,000 housing units. However, it was inevitable that there would be a LAP, with a large amount of housing as part of it, once Fingal County Council controversially pushed through the rezoning of 350 acres in 2004.The community fought hard at the time to stop the rezoning, but was unsuccessful. It followed that efforts to limit the extent of the LAP only had limited success. Now Donabate Portrane Community Council has succeeded in overcoming opposition from the county council to have the LAP revised, with the objective of lowering the number of houses to be built as part of it. The current plan allows for 5,000 new homes to be built in the Donabate Area (not including Portrane) with the potential for a population increase of over 15,000.

A radical reduction in the numbers of houses is a key objective of the community council, along with having just one town centre rather than three. The community council would also like to see the distributor road built in phases and any housing development should be phased over 10 to 12 years. Fingal County Council is now seeking submissions to be made from interested parties. The community council is engaging with local interested groups and wants to hear any views or suggestions on the shape of the new LAP. Email your suggestions to [email protected]. The deadline for submissions to Fingal Co. Co is December 15 so submissions to be included in the community council’s overall submission should be emailed before 10th December. For full information on the proposed LAP see the Fingal County Council website at www.fingalcoco.ie. Booklets and a display map are also available in the Donabate community centre and County Hall in Swords.

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony The Donabate switching on of the Christmas lights takes place on Saturday 10th December at the earlier time of 4.30pm in the grounds of St Patrick’s RC church. As usual the Lambay singers will be entertaining us with festive favourites and there may be a surprise visitor dropping in! Thanks go to the Lambay singers and CP Electrical for organising this annual event. The Donabate Christmas market will take place from 3-6pm in the parish hall car park

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News Round Up

DONABATE TOWN CENTRE, DONABATE, CO. Donabate Tidy Towns TEL. 01-843 4344 Tidy Towns has gone into hibernation for the winter, HIGH CLASS TRADITIONAL FAMILY BUTCHERS following yet again another good increase in points in this year’s Tidy Towns competition. More volunteers will be Now taking orders for Christmas needed next year when Spring comes, and if you would like FREE RANGE TURKEYS, FILLETS OF to volunteer please contact Blaithin on [email protected] or 0851264660. HAM, SPICED BEEF, TURKEY CROWNS. Eugene and his staff would like to wish all their cus- tomers a Happy Christmas Trees on Portrane Rd to be felled over safety concerns Donabate Presbyterian church 1st anniversary Fingal Co. Co has consulted with Donabate Tidy Towns st over the felling of over 50 poplar trees on the Portrane rd. The 1 anniversary of the Donabate Presbyterian church was These trees have been in situ for many years and have celebrated recently with an extra large Sunday service followed by reached the end of the normal life span for poplars. The lots of tea and cakes! The church meets every Sunday in the trees have become increasingly unstable over the past few community centre at 10.30am with a “Sunday Special” school for years and last year there were many branches and trees children and promises a warm welcome for all. There are plenty of blown down during the harsh winter with some near misses Christmas events planned including a carol service (open to all) on with cars and pedestrians. As this route is a very busy route Tuesday 20th December at 7.30pm upstairs in the Community with many children walking along it, the decision was Centre. For more detail visit www.donabatepc.org or call Rev Andy reached that the trees should be felled on safety grounds. Carroll on 01-8958833 Next spring the council will consult with the Tidy Towns committee on what should replace these trees. In the meantime there will be other trees and plans planted in and CAROL SERVICE alongside the water pumping station at “The Hand”. The A carol service will be held in hope is that a single Oak sapling planted inside the fencing St. Patricks C. of I. church of the pumping station could become a focal point at the in the Square, Donabate, end of the village when it matures in years to come. on the 18th of December at 10.30 a.m. all wecome Cake sale afterwards in adjacent church hall Waste Water Treatment Plant Extension Project Delayed ESB connections have impacted the Donabate/ Welcome to Fr Joe Portrane/Rush/Lusk WWTP project. Now due to be A warm welcome is extended to Fr Joe Connolly who joins St. commissioned and fully operational by end of March 2012. Patrick’s RC church following our farewell to Fr Paddy Byrne. He Intermittant periods of local disruption will be experienced as joins a very busy and active parish. A record number of children are pipe interconnections are commissioned. due to receive First Holy Communion and be confirmed in 2012 and with the 50th International Eucharistic Congress due to be held in Cleaner Community awards 2011 Dublin in June, 2012 promises to be a busy one for Fr Joe along Congratulations to The Links Estate which won with Fathers Pat Reilly and Pat Hannon the Best Community Environmental Initiative at the recent FCC sponsored Cleaner Community Transition Towns wins sustainability award Awards ceremony. This was the only Donabate The Transition Towns Donabate Portrane (TTDP) group entry to collect an award this year. won a highly commended award in the recent An Taisce Sustainable development awards as part of the National Tidy Towns competition. The Donabate Tidy Towns group GOODWORKS nominated the local sustainability group after the trojan FABRICATION work that the group has done over the past year on the village market, chickenlink group and other skill sharing SERVICES initiatives aimed at making our community more STEEL FABRICATION AND REPAIRS sustainable. • Mobile Welding Services •Handrails • Stainless Steel Safety Rails• Steel Railings • Steel Gates Donabate was represented at the • Repairs Fingal Joint Policing Donabate Committee public meeting held in on 9th Co.Dublin Nov last. Concern was expressed at the impact of reduced • Steel Window Guards Tel: 01-8436939 Garda numbers. It was indicated that Garda resources • Stainless Steel Welding Moblile: 086-8642837 • Steel Balconies Email: [email protected] would be deployed according to need and other district www.goodworksfabricationservices.ie resources could be called upon. see our ad. on donabateportranecommunity.com Swords Gardai 6664700

Annual Church Gate Collection The community council would like to thank all contributors to its annual church gate collection in September.

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Central Mental Hospital for Portrane Building of the new Central Mental Hospital in Portrane is expected to start next year and will take five years to complete, Minister of State Kathleen Lynch said recently. The junior minister with responsibility for the mental health sector said moving the facility to a greenfield site in Portrane was an important element in her overall plan to move forward at a pace the modernisation of our mental health services. Donabate Portrane Community Council has concerns which it wants dealt with before the move takes place. Chief among those concerns is security for the surrounding community and to address the issue, Donabate Portrane Community Council wants a manned Garda station on the peninsula before the new facility opens. The community council has also criticised the lack of consultation locally on the project saying. “Last year a meeting was held with the then junior minister with responsibility for mental health, John Moloney and he promised to consult the people of the peninsula before any announcement” The community council is now calling on Health Minister and local TD James Reilly to keep the community consulted on the project. The Central Mental Hospital is currently an 1850s building in Dundrum. There have been repeated calls over many years from national and international experts for replacement of the Dundrum facility in order to provide care and treatment in a modern, up-to-date and humane setting. The project had originally been planned for the site of the now shelved Thornton Hall prison. Minister Lynch said: “I fully expect that the entire project can be completed and the new facility operational by 2016.” The Department of Health said that the 1850 building will be replaced with “an appropriate modern facility for treating and caring for patients with mental illness”.

Monster sewage success

THE community has had a stunning victory in its six-year battle to stop a monster sewage plant being dumped on Portrane.

SPECIAL OFFER Due to the efforts of campaign group Fairshare and the residents of the peninsula the county council and its consultants FOR DEC/JAN have been forced to exclude Portrane as a location for the monster sewage plant. Donabate Portrane Community Council 10% Discount on Price and Fairshare have both expressed delight that the plant will or 10% Extra Print not be built in Portrane. (on First Print Order) Nine other locations however have now been identified as Get Both offers on likely locations for the plant instead.. They include sites in your Second Order Lusk, Rush, Loughshinny, and Clonshaugh. (Quality Guaranteed) The basic premise of Fairshare is that each area treats its own waste rather than having it transported up to 22km to be dealt Email: [email protected] with in a huge regional treatment plant. The community on our peninsula is already doing its share by accepting a smaller plant Phone Jack on 086 805 8704 that will serve Portrane, Donabate, Rush and Lusk. That plant is due to open in February. MORRISSEY TREE SERVICES DONABATE, Both the community council and Fairshare are disappointed CO. DUBLIN. that other communities are now threatened with having this Mobile: 087 992 0160 plant foisted on them. That is why help has been offered to Office: 01 808 5925 other communities to fight the new sewage plant plans. Web: morrisseytreeservices.com Fairshare has now attended meetings in Skerries, Lusk, Ballyboughal, Loughshinny and Swords to explain to these ALL ASPECTS OF TREE CARE. communities how to mount a campaign against the massive DANGEROUS TREE REMOVAL. sewage plant. CYPRESS HEDGE MAINTENANCE. There is still a risk that the coastline around Portrane could be TREE SURGERY/PRUNING/SHAPING threatened with a marine outfall pipe if a location in nearby SITE CLEARANCE. Lusk or Rush is chosen for the regional wastewater treatment STUMP GRINDING. plant. CONSULTANCY. 10% off to all O.A.P.’s Donabate Portrane Community Council and Fairshare have committed to fighting that battle with the same vigour used to SEE OUR AD ON DONABATEPORTRANECOMMUNITY.COM save Portrane from having a mega sewage plant dumped there.

St. Ita’s AFC With the first half of the season coming to a close, it’s been exciting for the club with seven teams still in the hunt for cup final places come May. With the three new u8 teams playing 5 aside football for the first time we are looking forward to the 2nd half of the season and cup finals in May. This year has seen a first for the club with a new senior futsal team playing in the new FAI futsal league also with our two senior teams now playing their footbal in the AUL leagues for the first time. Next year of course is a big year for Irish football, cup finals in May, euro finals in June and of course the big one the Mini Euro in July. The club would like to take this opportunity to wish all its members a Happy Christmas and New Year. For more information on our club please visit our new website going live before Christmas at www.stitasfc.com

3 On 15th September we had our annual coffee morning for the Hospice organised once again by Mrs Sammon. Over €300 was raised for this very deserving cause. On 6th October Dublin Footballers Bernard Brogan and Mossie Quinn brought the Sam Maguire Cup to our school. We were all delighted to have the opportunity to see the cup and to congratulate the players in person. On 19th October fire fighters from Swords Fire Station gave a talk to 3rd class girls regarding the dangers of fireworks and bonfires over the Hallowe’en period. Junior Infants performed a Welcome Ceremony for their parents in October. Lots of songs were performed to show the Mams and Dads how well they are settling in to school. The Parents’ association organised a monster cake sale and raffle for the last day of term before the Hallowe’en break. All the children came to school in their Hallowe’en costumes, parents and children made/donated cakes. A great day was had by all and more than €1,500 was raised for school funds. More than 200 shoe boxes filled with gifts for underprivileged children in foreign countries were donated by the girls of our school. The shoe boxes will be delivered by Team Hope to the children in time for Christmas this year.6th class girls are busy preparing for the annual Jumble Sale which takes place on 6th December 2011 in the school hall. Funds raised will be distributed among several different charities including the St Vincent de Paul and Heart to Hand. Fundraising by the Parents’ Association has commenced to raise the money to build a much needed extension to our school hall which we hope to have completed by September 2012.Visit our school website www.scoilphadraiccailini.ie for news, photos, events taking place in our school.

We got the keys to our beautiful new school on September 1st and thanks to the hard work of staff and parents we opened on September 5th. We are delighted with the building, the classrooms are bright and spacious and the facilities in our new school are excellent. We are very grateful to the Department of Education for providing us with such a beautiful teaching and learning space and to the builders McAvoy and Glasgiven for all their hard work. We plan to hold an official opening sometime in the Spring. Everyone has settled down well in our new home. At the moment staff members and parents are working together to set up a school library which we will launch during Reading Week in early December. We hope that the new library will help to nurture a love of books and reading in the children. We ran our own presidential election to coincide with the real presidential election and were delighted to announce that Michael D. Higgins was elected (on the fourth count) by the children from 3rd to 6th class. The children learnt a lot in the process. Please visit our newly launched website at www.dpetns.ie , the website gives you an insight into what is happening in our school and the opportunity to leave a comment if you wish.

We were delighted to receive the news that the school was nominated and won the “Leading Light Award” - Education (Primary), in Road Safety. This award was presented to the school, by Gay Byrne, Chairman of the Road Safety Authority at a recent ceremony in Farmleigh. This school year saw the start of our “Strings Programme” with 30 new violins purchased by the funds raised by our parents and sponsors to whom we are very grateful. Children from 3rd to 6th class will have the opportunity to learn to play the violin with Cliona our violin teacher. We have a long sporting tradition in the school and we are delighted to welcome back our Gaelic leagues run by Mr. Manning & Mr. Horan. Great celebrations were held in the school for our teams who won the Fingal Junior and Senior League. These celebrations were topped off by welcoming the “Sam Maguire Cup”, brought along to the school by Bernard Brogan and Mossy Quinn. Thank you to Mark (St. Pats GAA) and to Mutar (Portrane Hockey Club) who are coaching with us in the school this year. We had great fun helping the G-Day team with their brochure. TG4 filmed as we spelled out “Bí Linn” on the playground for the team to photograph helping put the Donabate entry through to the finals in the Spring! We have recently taken possession of 10 ‘Fizzbooks’... a child-friendly netbook/tablet computer for use throughout the school. This is a major step forward in promoting e-learning. This is the last link in a long term plan to make every class a virtual learning environment which enhances the child’s interaction with the world around him. We aim to develop teaching programmes that draw on the best learning experiences available world-wide. Our nature awareness programme OWLS is really being enjoyed by all the classes involved. Andrew Fleming (co-ordinator) will be back with us soon to do some bulb planting for the Spring. You can learn more about our school and events by visiting our website on www.stpatsbns.ie.

Sunflowers Beauty Salon

Gift Vouchers and Gift Boxes available for the perfect Christmas gift. *Introducing the NEW GELERATION: by Jessica nails 2-3 wk. manicure, non-chip gel polish €25.00 * VITA LIBERATA:100% ORGANIC SPRAYTAN €20.00 * DIET SECRET: a nutritionally devised programme to help you lose weight. * GUINOT FACIALS: Hydradermie, Hydradermie eye+neck, Liftosome+Beaute Neure. 10% off Unit 18, * HYDRADERMIE LIFT: non-surgical face+eye lift using Donabate Town drainage+microcurrent. 20% off Centre, * All IPL treatments. 1/2 price Donabate. Tel. 01 8434191

4 Donabate Historical Society: Four local heroes

Three years ago Dixon Noonan Webb of Piccadilly, London, auctioned a medal which had strong connections to four local heroes who, in 1873, showed great heroism by putting their own lives in danger, to save four crew members of the “Ada” boat from drowning. Our Donabate Historical society made a bid for the medal but, unfortunately, it was not successful. The four locals involved were all from the Burrow/Portrane area. The prospectus for the sale reads as follows:

‘The Ada departed Liverpool for Dublin on 1st February 1873 with a cargo of superphosphate manure. The following day after being caught in a severe storm, she was sighted by the Portrane coastguard drifting out of control towards the rocky shore. The ship struck and the coastguard immediately gathered rocket apparatus equipment to rescue the crew of four. The rockets failed to reach the stricken vessel and she began to break up, forcing the crew into the rigging. With further efforts to reach the ship by rocket failing, it was decided by the coastguard to wait until the tide went out to enable the apparatus to be brought closer to the wreck. This having been done the rockets still fell short and with the gale still blowing, the coastguard adjudged it unsafe to launch a rescue boat. Joseph Davis, a resident of Portrane, had witnessed the continued failures of the rescue attempts by rocket and had decided he would make a rescue attempt by boat. With his brothers John and William, together with Charles Smart and a volunteer from the coastguard, Richard Twohig, they went out into the still stormy sea. Reaching the remains of the Ada, they cut down the men that had tied themselves to the rigging and taking them into the boat brought them to the shore. The men, who had been clinging to the rigging for some seven hours, were all suffering from exposure; sadly, one of them, the captain’s 14 year old son had died.

To reward the gallantry of Joseph Davis and his companions, the Committee of the Tayleur Fund bestowed their silver medal on each of them.’ The Tayleur fund had been established following the sinking of the Tayleur in 1854 after charitable donations poured in to assist the survivors. Some of this money was channelled through a Dublin committee, chaired by Lord Talbot, who owned Lambay, to assist future shipwrecked victims. It was from this fund that the Tayleur Fund Medal was inaugurated to reward heroic rescues at sea.

Peadar Bates

Charles Smart’s Medal Reverse inscribed: Presented to Charles Smart for prompt courage in saving life from the wreck of the Ada at Portrane.

Next Historical Society Meeting St. Patrick’s Hall, Tuesday 6th December 2011 @ 8.30 P.M. Sharp Illustrated Talk by Cormac Lowth Entitled‘Irelands Armada Heritage’ All are welcome

Replacement panels Boundary fencing Fencing panels on walls Auto repairs and servicing Decorative panels using the latest computer Low fencing for front gardens Paul Godkin, Side gates diagnostics. Hearse Rd., Fairways, Front gates Free quotations Donabate. Donabate, Removal of old fencing Tel.086 833 3737 Free collection and delivery Tel. 086 255 2251 Free quotations email:[email protected] service www.bgautorepairs.com GODKINFENCING.IE

5 Wild Wetlands at St Ita’s Did you ever notice the wetland between the Portrane road and the woodland at St. Ita’s? Many people in Donabate pass the area on a regular basis, but did you ever wonder what animals and plants might be living there? The Donabate Tidy Towns group went to explore the wetland together with pupils from St. Patricks Boy’s school to see what wildlife could be found there. Ecologists John Lovatt and Declan Doogue together with Hans Visser, the Biodiversity Officer with Fingal County Council, assisted us with identifying the different birds, plants and insects moving around in the wetland. The wetland is a mosaic of wet grassland, dense stands of rushes, freshwater ponds & drains. Surprisingly, there are saltmarsh plants present too, which just shows how far the influence of the Rogerstown Estuary goes. The boys that went pond dipping found little tadpoles, sticklebacks, water spiders, boatmen, water scorpions, snails and really scary diving beetle larvae that kept on eating the other creatures in the containers. 41 bird species were observed this spring including typical wetland species such as Little Egret, Grey Heron, Mallard and Moorhen. Also seen on the site were Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting, which are less common in Fingal. Eleven butterfly species were recorded on the site such as Orange Tip, Holly Blue and Speckled Wood. Some of the management recommendations that were made by the ecologists include the creation of more open ponds and shallow drains to create more space for birds such as Mallard, various aquatic insects such as dragonflies and damselflies and not to forget the Frogs and Newts of course. Seasonal light grazing would also be very beneficial and the western part of the wetland could do with an annual hay cut. The Tidy Towns group would also be keen to explore the possibility of some sort of pedestrian route on a raised boardwalk through the marsh, so that it can be opened up for recreational and educational use. We would like to thank Fingal Rural LEADER for their generous grant aid to carry out the ecological study of the wetland.

THANK YOU, AS ALWAYS, TO ALL OUR CUSTOMERS Creche Action Now - Campaign for QualityWISHING Childcare YOU ALL A HAPPY AND PEACEFUL EASTER in Donabate Much to the dismay of the children, parents and staff, the New Beginnings’ crèche, located in the Gallery Apartments, was forced to close on Friday 11th November as a result of failure to enforce planning. This has left the peninsula seriously under- resourced in terms of full-time day care places. Children and parents are being forced to commute outside the peninsula for crèche places or to hire child-minders . For a town with a sizeable young and growing population we TOP QUALITY TREATMENTS FROM AWARD-WINNING THERAPISTS urgently need additional crèche places NOW! Too many parents The Management & Staff at Esthétique Beauty Salon wishes all in are struggling to get adequate childcare on the peninsula and the Parish a very Peaceful and Happy Christmas with plans by Fingal County Council (FCC) to increase development in the area the problem is only going to get worse. Thank you for your valued custom throughout the year A group of concerned parents have formed Crèche Action Now We look forward to treating you all at the Salon in 2012 Old Post Office, Main St., (CAN) to lobby FCC to provide for this essential service. Open till 6pm on Christmas Eve for last minute vouchers Donabate. FCC have launched the consultation phase of the Donabate or order by phone: 808-5648 Tel. 8085648 Local Area Plan and we are asking all those concerned about our www.esthetique.ie community and its youngest members, to call for provision of adequate quality childcare. Submissions can be made to FCC [see article on front page for details]. “Bring J. BROWNE & SONS Comhgairdeas don G Team Domhnachthis ad. to Bat Comhgairdeas to the Donabate G-Team.Salon The and receive team which BUILDERS PROVIDERS entered Donabate into the TG4 competition20% to OFF find a non Irish ALL BUILDING MATERIALS a speaking community and show how you can bring TheIrish Management to life in & Staff at Esthétique Beauty SalonSAND, wishes GRAVEL, all in the Parish aCEMENT, very Peaceful and Happy Christmas that community has worked so hard and the efforts have paid off Thank you for your valued custom throughout the yearBLOCKS, BRICKS, as Donabate is now through to the finals! The finalsWe will look forwardbe in to treating you all at the Salon in 2012 March 2012 where we will compete head to head against another TIMBER. town to win a prize of €40,000. Open till 6pm on Christmas Eve for last minute vouchers or order by phone: 808-5648 EVERYTHING FOR THE HOUSE AND EXTENSION Some of the tasks that we completed were G -Day on 13th June, producing a brochure on Donabate as Gaeilge and producing an READY TO GO TREATED RAISED BEDS Church rd., Irish radio show. SELECTION OF COLOURED STONE Lusk, Look out for the show to be broadcast over 10 weeks in March PATIO SLABS Co. Dublin. on TG4 culminating in the final where the €40,000 winning town DELIVERY SERVICE Tel. 01 8437216 will be announced and be sure to take part in the events in March. www.gdaydb.com 6 Lambay Singers news

Renowned local choir the Lambay Singers are once again gearing up for a busy festive season. Under the baton of new musical director George Rice, the choir will kick off their season with a performance at the Switching-on of the Christmas Lights in St. Patrick’s Church car-park on Saturday December 10th at 4.30pm.

The singers will then take to the stage in the first of two Christmas concerts, “Tidings of Joy” to be held in St. Patrick’s Parish Hall in Donabate on Saturday December 10th and Sunday December 11th at 8pm. The programme for “Tidings of Joy” will include some traditional festive favourites along with some more unusual Christmas songs and the eclectic mix should provide something to please all musical tastes.

O’FLAHERTY HEATING AND PLUMBING This year the choir have been invited to provide some seasonal THE LINKS, DONABATE. entertainment at the first ever Christmas Fair to be held in the Mobile : 087-2869857 Waterside Hotel on Sunday December 4th from 2pm. The Home : 01 895 8351 singers are also appearing in the Powerscourt Townhouse th www.oflahertyheatingandplumbing.com Shopping Centre on Sunday December 18 from 2pm to 4pm as part of a fund-raising weekend for “Presents of Mind”, to help raise awareness of Mental Health in Ireland. On Tuesday th TANK,CYLINDER AND PUMP REPLACEMENTS December 20 , the choir will sing in Terminal 2 in Dublin GAS/OIL HEATING SYSTEMS UPGRADED Airport to welcome home returning emigrants and all other R.G.I . APPROVED incoming passengers arriving into Dublin for Christmas. RADIATORS MOVED OR REPLACED Tickets for “Tidings of Joy” are priced €10 and are on sale now. BATHROOMS RENOVATED For more information or for ticket sales please contact Emer OUTSIDE TAP AND GARDEN IRRIGATION SYSTEMS Weston on 0863691871. GENERAL PLUMBING WORK FULLY INSURED Newbridge House this Christmas A LOCAL COMPANY SERVING THE LOCAL AREA Santa will be making special visits to Newbridge House again this year and there will be a living crib in Newbridge Farm also. There are also opportunities to see Santa’s reindeer being fed in the deer enclosure and Santa will be departing Newbridge House at 2pm on Christmas Eve to travel far and wide on his annual present delivery journey so he will need plenty of boys and girls to wish him farewell. For full details see www.newbridgehouseandfarm.com

Donabate’s Inaugural Christmas Market The Transition Towns Donabate Portrane group is delighted to announce that Donabate’s inaugural Christmas market will take place on Saturday December 10th from 3pm-6pm in St. Patrick’s Parish hall on Main Street. Traders from the regular Saturday market will be in attendance as well as a host of extra stallholders. Craft, jewellery, photography, knitting, fruit and vegetables, eggs, meats and cheeses, candles, cakes, relishes, jams and chutneys, Christmas breads and cordials, seafood, hot food and tea and coffee. There will also be music and entertainment provided. The market ties in nicely with the Christmas lighting up ceremony which starts at 4.30pm across the road in the church grounds, so bring all of the family to the village on 10th December for a truly wonderful Donabate Christmas

The views expressed in the Peninsula News are not necessarily those of the Community Council. The Peninsula News is distributed to 3000 plus homes in the Donabate-Portrane area. If you are prepared to deliver the newsletter in your area please let us know. [email protected]

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Donabate Senior Citizens

We have had a busy year, with all our outings being very successful which makes life interesting for our seniors. A trip to the Pantomime in Rolestown started things off early on in the year. Our summer outing was to Cavan, followed by an outing to making for two very enjoyable days. We even joined in G- Day with a Bingo session as Gaeilge! A visit to the theatre for a performance of 'Stones in his Pockets' was well received and gave plenty of food for thought. We had a Seniors tea dance and a visit to a concert in the Seamus Ennis centre. In November we had a visit to Newbridge arranged by our Vice Chairman, Eamon Grogan. We also had a visit to and a tour of Croke Park but unfortnately the verdict was that Croke Parke is not senior friendly!

Of course, none of these activities would have been possible without all our fund raising, to keep the coffers topped up. There are boxes around the local shops, our main Christmas raffle, smaller raffles and Mary McLoughlin, Treasurer, initiated our weekly lotto which is going well. Flag days and sponsored walks also help. Support is always needed.

A talk by an Garda Siochána was welcomed, making us aware of security in our homes and advising us on precautions to take. €10,000 euro worth of Social and Security alarms has been installed in the homes of our seniors. Frank, our Chairman, aided by Mary, has initiated a series of visits to the homes of seniors unable to come to the Centre.

We are active members of the Fingal Seniors Forum which has been set up by Fingal County Council, with a view to Fingal being one of the first counties to become an Age Friendly county and have been busy filing in questionnaires on our views. Plaques are being unveiled to remember Eileen Kearns and Denis McNally both dedicated members for many years.

There are still some spaces available for our Christmas Dinner to be held on December 11th at €10 euro per head. A wonderful evening is promised.

Transition Towns Donabate Portrane The Transition Towns Donabate Portrane (TTDP) group has certainly not gone into hibernation this winter! With a bumper crop of apples and blackberries on the peninsula this Autumn the group have been busy extolling the virtues of self sufficiency as a community. The community apple press at the Saturday market in Donabate Parish Hall was a great success with many litres of apple juice and cider produced by apple growers and gatherers. The market itself is still continuing with some concession as some of the stalls head indoor to escape the cold weather. The Chickenlink group which provides support on how to keep chickens is expanding and some members are now keeping geese also.

The group is still hoping that the project to reclaim the disused St. Ita’s gardens in Portrane for community use will come to fruition in the form of a community supported agriculture model. At the end of January the group will be holding a meeting to bring together individuals and groups in the Donabate-Portrane area who are interested in setting up groups that link in with the TTDP philosophy of + reducing energy consumption, the creation of a local economy, food security and sharing skills at a community level. If you are interested in setting up a group like this and need more help you can contact the TTDP group on [email protected] The TTDP group has created a great 3 minute video on what the group is all about You can see it on You Tube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=To8GDEECuJk

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