Active Age for All

Upcoming Events – read on…

Comhaltas Ceoltoiri – Meeting Wed 6th Feb ALL WELCOME

Did you go to The Fleadh (Fleadh Ceol na hÉireann) in Drogheda last summer? Are you interested in Irish traditional music and culture? Are you an adult who has always wanted to play an instrument? Would you like to be part of the setting up of a branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ) on our peninsula? If so, read on.

A meeting will be held in Donabate Portrane Educate Together National School at 8pm on Wednesday, 6th February 2019 to explore how a CCÉ branch is set up, and hopefully to start a branch in our area. Mary Whelan, Chairperson of the Dublin County Board Committee of CCÉ, will speak on the night about the process of setting up a branch and the support given by CCÉ e.g. in sourcing teachers and how to run a branch successfully with regard to committees and funding etc. Also Elizabeth Byrne, who was one of the founder members of CCÉ Port Mearnóg five years ago and has now, with them in her golden years, learned to play an instrument, will share her experience in setting up a branch.

If you are interested, please contact Breda Dockrell (breda.dockrell@gmail.com) or Coman Goggins (comangoggins@gmail.com), who hope that an ad-hoc committee will be formed on the night to oversee the formation of CCÉ Domhnach Bat / Port Reachrann. (Leathinis!)

Registration options – 

The following classes have some spaces for members –

Bridge for beginners and improvers – Tuesdays 15.00 – 17.00 

French for beginners – Tuesday 11.40 – 12.40

Singing and music Thursdays 12.00 – 13.30
Croquet at Newbridge– Wednesdays 14.00 – 16.00 (in the Spring onwards)
Tai Chi – Thursday 10.30 – 11.30.
Bowls on Tuesdays 15.00-17.00 in the Sports Hall.
Pickleball on Thursdays 15.00-17.00 in the Sports Hall.
Line Dancing on Mondays 13.00 – 14.00
If you are interested in joining one of them – just email us from the contact page.

Access to swimming – Gym Plus Swords can offer the following to AAfA members:

Standard Monthly Fee – For AAfA members we can offer €44 per month by direct debit with NO JOINING FEE.   Off Peak Standard Fee – For AAfA members we can offer €40 per month by direct debit with NO JOINING FEE.   Annual Fees – For AAfA members we can offer €440 with NO JOINING FEE.   Off Peak Annual Fee – For AAfA members €400 with NO JOINING FEE.   Membership Includes FREE Aqua Fit Classes in the week & many other activities!    Eoin  Kaar, Club Manager

Other activities available – 

Bowls  Indoor Bowls will take place for Men & Women on a Tuesday afternoon in the Sports Hall 3 00pm- 5 00pm. For the present there will be no other activity or class on at that time. We urge our members to come along and give it a go. While it is a skillful game it does not require a high level of fitness. It is easy to learn and a core group of about 6 take part most weeks, under the expert tutoring of Elizabeth.  We have state of the art equipment so we urge our members to come and use it! We are also so lucky to have the use of such s fantastic Sports Hall to do the bowls in and are the envy of any who have seen this great facility!  Please just turn up with flat non-marking runners and the appropriate loose clothes and give it a go! It is also at the moment a FREE activity for members to partake in! (NB at present there is NO Indoor Bowls on a Thursday afternoon as Pickleball is taking place at that time) 
 
Walking / Hiking   We direct any of our our members to the Hikingireland website run by Margaret & Damien Goodwin for any hillwalking or mountaineering activities. If there are a number of people who are interested in connecting to do ordinary walking around the village or on FCC or other ‘way marked’ trails please email AAfA. We will try to connect you together so an active group can emerge. 
 
Cycling   Last year AAfA set up a Cycling Course in conjunction with Cycling  Ireland & The RSA. This course had 20 attendees and was funded entirely by these two bodies and supported by our Community Centre as the meeting point for all évents.  Directly from that, at a meeting called by AAfA, the first cycling group in the parish began. The aim was that this group would become independent from AAfA. This has happened and there is now a thriving WhatsApp cycling group called the PENINSULA PEDALLERS run and administered by Mark Philbin. The group caters for all abilities.  Every Sunday morning presently at 10.00 am, the group meet at the Donabate & Portrane Community Centre and head off on a cycle. There is a short easy route about 10k for those who wish to partake in leisure cycling (with a coffee shop stop) and a harder longer route for the hard core cyclists (also with a coffee shop stop!)
It is a very lively and welcoming group so if you are interested in joining please contact Mark on 087 960 7662.
 

Finalist in the All Ireland Community & Council Awards 2018

We were nominated by Fingal CC under the category ‘Community Based Initiative’.  This required a very long submission about how we started, what we do, pictures and video if available… great that it landed us in the final for this category.  Friday 3rd February was the main event where the winners of all categories were announced.  Unfortunately we did not win but we were reassured that there are so many volunteers out there working to develop their community facilities.

Free Tours of the National Gallery Permanent Collection

The National Gallery offers Free Tours. Their guides will share some of the fascinating stories behind the award winning conservation and refurbishment project and then lead you around the historic wings highlighting key works from the newly conserved and hung National Collection.  No booking is needed – all welcome.  Meet at the Merrion Square Information Desk.  Check this link for times and dates – 

https://www.nationalgallery.ie/tour-3

Donabate/Portrane Men’s Shed.

While Active Age for All has been instrumental in financing the initial work to set up a Men’s Shed, this is now an autonomous group who meet in the Scouts Den.  Congratulations to them all.  If you are interested in joining the group then please go to the contact section and let us know.  We will be pleased to pass your contact detail on to them.   Jim & Gordon & Harry

Some useful information you may not be aware of…      

North County Dublin Care & Repair Service.  If you are 65+ and require a small repair job to be done, then you can have help by this group.  There is no charge other than the cost of the materials.  

What sort of thing is usually done? Replacing lightbulbs, servicing smoke alarms, putting up shelves, moving light furniture, tacking loose carpets, putting up curtains/poles, fixing small leaks, replacing plugs… all very useful.

How do you arrange it?  Phone 0818 919 411 (calls at the national call rate). You can email to careandrepair@fingalleaderpartnership.ie 

Trades Referral Programme.  Would you like to make contact with reliable trade’s people who will not overcharge?  Age Action supply a list of trustworthy trade’s people registered with them.  For more information Tel: Lo Call: 1890 369 369.

Growing Membership information and DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE –
Our membership at end of October 2018 is 220.  
There are reductions as follows for members (on production of a current membership card) in the following facilities (subject to other offers not applying):
  • Sunflowers Beauty Salon Unit 18 Donabate Shopping Centre (10% off for member – services, not products)
  • Susanne Murray Hair Studio Ballisk Court (10% off for member – services, not products)
  • Esthetique Skin and Bodycare Centre Unit 2, Old Post Office, Main Street, Donabate (10% off for member – services, not products)
  • Café Natural, Donabate-Portrane Community Centre (10% off for member and a guest)
  • Lady Cobbe Café, Newbridge House (10% off for member and a guest)
  • Cate’s Café, Donabate (10% off for member and a guest)
  • Pasta Castello, Donabate (20% off on main courses for member and a guest)
  • Waterside Hotel (10% off on food for member and a guest)
  • Pink Ladys Beauty, DPCC (10% off on Wednesdays)
  • Jones’s Garden Centre – (not the restaurant) 10% off on plants, plant accessories, chemicals, compost and garden equipment for member only. This offer will not apply to BBQ, furniture or interior items. The offer is also not available for any garden items already on offer, multi-buy or discounted.)
  • Donabate-Portrane Community Centre (Gym membership for €70 per year – for all over 65s – is available)