Transition Towns Donabate Portrane

Restore St Ita's Farms and Orchards

Transition Towns Donabate Portrane (TTDP) are currently making an application to the HSE for the making available of lands at the Old Gardens site at St. Ita’s Hospital, Portrane. The aim of the project is to redevelop the site into a Community Garden/Farm and Work Shops.

The St. Ita’s Complex is a designated protected structure under the Fingal Developemnt Plan 2011-2017 "Record number 536 - St. Ita’s Hospital Complex Portranie Demesne - Extensive 19th century mental hospital complex" of which the old Walled Gardens is an integral part of this complex and as such a Protected Structure.

Transition Towns Donabate Portrane proposes to redevelop the site as a community facility with the following uses;

• Community Garden Space
• Community Allotments
• Community Supported Farm
• tillage and horticulture
• Community Supported Orchards
• Work Shop spaces for artists

A pdf containing more information is available for download here Download leaflet

If you would like to help us develop and protect this area please email us at joe@ttdp.ie

Market relaunch

TTDP are thrilled to restart the market for this year. The market officially relaunches on april 14th. Come along to get the best in local food, breads, cakes and much more.

Visioning Donabate

Keelings Theatre - 22nd February 8pm

What should Donabate/Portrane be like in the future?

Don't miss out on shaping a vision for Donabate for the coming years.Come along for this social community meeting to swap ideas and help make the area better.

Also if you have ever wanted to start or join a local grou...p come along for more info.

Christmas Market on Dec 10th - Get in the Christmas Spirit!

A special Christmas market will be running on December 10th in the parish hall carpark. It will co-incide with the turning on of the Christmas Lights in the village. The market will run from 3 - 6pm. Everyone is welcome to come down and get some mulled wine and pies, and celebrate the start of Christmas with their neighbours. There will be music and entertainment, and a wide range of Christmas gifts and crafts.

• Craft, gift & Jewellery stalls
• Portrait Photography Studio stall
• Knitted Giftware
• Local Vegetable stall (Christmas orders taken)
• Paintings and Craft Cards
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• Sourdough bread, Soda Bread and seasonal Cordial
• Cakes, sweets and mince pies
• Food stall - Relishes, sauces, jams and more
• Artisan Candle stall, Christmas gifts
• Fresh local Seafood
• Barista quality coffees, teas
• Eggs, meat and Cheese
• Live Music and lots more ...

Transition Towns Donabate Portrane-Please vote for our video!

The Transition Towns Donabate Portrane group needs your help! We have created a video about ourselves for a competition called Better Together showing how when communities work together they can achieve great results. There are 2 parts to the competition Click on the link below, view the video and then please give us a 5 star vote. The videos with the most numbers of votes get through to a final judging process. You can also donate to us online if you like. Even a euro will do as there is a second part to the competition to attract the greatest number of unique donations!

Click here to vote and view video

Please tell all of your family and friends, particularly those on the peninsula, but also those that believe in creating sustainable communities like ours is trying to become,

TTDP Cycling Group members wanted

The TTDP cycling group had its first cycle with 8 cyclists last Sunday morning. Now that its up and running and it is now looking for members to come along and join us for a cycle on this and every Sunday morning. The group sets of from the Parish hall at 9am Sunday mornings with cycles of 40km+ planned. To register for text reminders for this group contact Doctor bike on 087-9758056.

Transition Projects Leaders wanted

Do you have an idea or possible project that is in keeping with the Transition Towns ethos that you would be willing to run or lead, then get in touch and we would be delighted to help and offer any support and expertise we can. email sean@ttdp.ie

TTDP celebration of the apple.

Due to the abundance of apples being grown around the peninsula TTDP have invested in a community fruit press and crusher. We decided on a 12 ltr press so based on the 5 to 1 guide it will fit our needs. So from the 24th of Sept and for each Saturday of the season a volunteer will be manning the press at the Donabate farmers market.All you need to do is bring along your apples and sterilised bottles. You can sterilize your bottles either using sterilizing chemical tablets (example; Milton) or boiling water followed by drying them in the oven. In our experience kids get great enjoyment from the crushing so bring along the whole family. Sean will be also looking for anyone who is interested in joining him in making our own local cider for our own enjoyment. If you would like to volunteer or have experience you can share contact Seán on sean@ttdp.ie

October Meeting ideas wanted

TTDP plan to have a community information meeting in October/November as a tool to raise awareness on Transition Towns and to gain direction from the community members in Donabate/Portrane on what direction they would like to see their Transition going. If you have any ideas for this or you would like to take part please get in touch at joe@ttdp.ie.

Congrats to Donabate/Portrane

TTDP have won award in the Comhar sustainable communities award, having just been awarded €500 for their work in making Donabate/Portrane a more sustainable community. For more information on this award and our work in this area please contact blaithin@ttdp.ie

TTDP on RTE!

Ceol agus Craic on G-Day

June 13th finally arrived and the village was transformed into a gaeltacht for the day as part of the TG4 show 'The G-Team'. The day was a massive success, more than we could have imagined, as businesses, local community group and the local populace all tried their hand at speaking 'as gaeilge' all day. The was a range of events from toddlers through to the seniors group and everyone had a laugh speaking irish at the huge range of events on the day. It was a memorable day and the first of many festivals in the village hopefully!

We can't fit pics of all the events so have a look at the facebook page "G-day Domhnach Beathach' for photos.

TTDP Chickenlink on RTE on the 23rd

The TTDP chicken group all got their fancy gear and telly hair out to be filmed for RTE's Capitol D programme. The show will feature a segment showing how a local family get all set up to become chicken owners. The segment explores the local links in the community and the handy barter system that is set up between the allotments and the chickenlink group.

Thanks to Red Shoe productions for picking us to film, we had a great laugh and it was great promotion for our food market, local coop maker (cheers RTS timber & maintenance) and also the fantastic Newbridge Park who helped us out and were invaluable. The show will air on RTE2 at 7.30 pm on June 23rd

New Courses announced

Have a look at our training page to see the new courses that will be running shortly.

The first one - Community Collaboration - will be running in September 2011. This course is fantastic for anyone who is actively involved in community groups or managing people.

New TTDP Cycling Gear available now

The cycle groups official gear is now ready!

The jerseys will be worn for the first time by the TTDP team in the Ring if Kerry leisure race on the 2nd of July. All sponsors are local businesses within Donabate/Portrane.

To purchase a jersey and shorts contact your local bicycle repair/maintenance man Eoin at Eoin@doctorbike.ie.

Donabate to feature in TG4 G-Day show

Speak Irish for a day and win 40k for the community

Donabate has qualified for the G-day challenge and will now compete against another village to win 40k for the community!

The challenge is to turn Donabate into a Gaeltacht for the day on the 13th June. We will be working with all businesses and local community groups in order to win the prize. More details will be available shortly about the project.

New groups started

Cycle Group

Due to demand we have started a new cycling group in the area. We are hoping to lobby for proper cycleways, lockup facilities and to connect all the cyclists in the area.

If you would like to join up or get more information just contact us

Chickenlink

Due to the increase in people who are keeping a few chickens in their gardens, we have started a new group to share knowledge, equipment or to band together for discounts on materials.

If you have ever wanted to keep a few chickens and just don't know how, contact us and our resident chicken keepers will be more than happy to give advice or to source chickens for you. If you would like a copy of our pdf "Guide to chicken keeping" send us a mail on chickens@ttdp.ie and we will send you a copy.

The next chicken run is happening soon, so get in touch if you are looking for any new birds

First Market - a great day out!

Farmers and Food Market to run every Saturday

Our first Food Market was a great success on Saturday. A lovely sunny day brought everyone out to sit and enjoy coffee and cakes in the market. There was great support for the stall holders and many had sold out well before the market ended. A free facepainter and music added to the festive atmosphere.

The market will gradually grow over the weeks with a wider ranger of food and stalls. If there is anything in particular you would like to see, or if you would like to become a seller, please get in contact with us.

First course holders complete course

New businesses launching soon

Our first stall holders are local people who have recently completed our free food course and are now ceretified to sell their produce. They are now HSE certified to sell at the market every Saturday.

Below are the new stall holders reciving their certs

Thanks

We have been successful in getting funding from Fingal Leader Partnership Company, The Dept of Agriculture, Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs and the EU for 100% funding for the business courses and 75% for the market set up. We would like to thank them for tehir support, advice and encouragement.

St Ita's farm & Community Garden motion put before the council

Idea to be pushed through to the next stage

Click here to view a video of the motion being discussed.

then click Balbriggan/Swords. Area Committee Meeting Services B, Thu 24 Feb 2011. When the page loads click onto index points number 24, this allows you to skip direct to the item, you will then see the St.Itas gardens motion being discussed.

Just some of the possibilities that this site offers are;

• - community supported farm
• - community garden
• - community orchard
• - community allotments
• - a space for local businesses
• - a space for local training
• - a space for animal/bird haven/sanctuary
• - artists spaces
• - tea room and cafe

If you have any ideas or can help with the project in any way, please get in touch with us.

Food course completed successfully

Local small food businesses launching soon

Congrats to all the locals who recently completed the food course and who are now certified to expand their small businesses to sell at markets. We are looking forward to sampling their talents at the fod market on the 2nd April