Donabate
Encyclopedia
Donabate is a small suburban coastal town in Ireland
, some 20 km north-northeast of Dublin City. The town is situated on a peninsula which it shares with the town of Portrane
. This peninsula lies on Ireland's east coast, between the Rogerstown Estuary
to the north and Broadmeadow Estuary to the south. Donabate is in the administrative county of Fingal
within the traditional County Dublin
.
The Donabate peninsula forms a distinctive hammer-head shape. This is because each of the mouths of both estuaries surrounding the peninsula are partially closed by large sand spits stretching north to south. The northern spit contains Portrane beach which almost touches Rush
South Beach but for a narrow channel entering the Rogerstown esutary. A stretch of low limestone cliffs to the south of Portrane beach leads to Donabate Beach which is the east face of the southern spit. The southern Broadmeadow estuary is likewise almost completely enclosed and is fed by the broadmeadow river. The shelter provided by the spits had made the estuaries important wildlife habitats and both are protected under the international Ramsar Convention
.
, which is also known as North County Dublin
. The Donabate-Portrane peninsula is in the Swords
ward (or local electoral area, to give it its official title). The Swords ward is numerically the largest in Fingal county and elects five county councillors to Fingal County Council. In terms of national elections, the Donabate Portrane peninsula is the Dublin North constituency, which sends four Teachta Dála to Dáil Éireann.
Donabate Portrane Community Council
is the community council for the Donabate Portrane Peninsula.
Donabate Portrane Community and Leisure Centre is the area's newest public building, that opened in 2001. The town has an active Chamber of Commerce
, Scout Group (63rd Dublin 14th Port Donabate), and two soccer clubs (St. Ita's A.F.C and Portrane Athletic), a G.A.A club (St. Patrick's), a Karate club, a Tae-Kwon Do club, a snooker club, a Historical and Folklore Society, Tidy Towns Committee, a Bridge club, a Community centre and many more groups.
courses such as The Island which is ranked as one of the top 20 courses in Ireland.
(Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, Naomh Pádraig) club in Donabate dates from 1924. It is an active club with a membership of over 300 as of 2009. The club play at Robbie Farrell Park,
Ballymastone in Donabate. Gaelic Football and Hurling are played at adult level as well as at under-age levels from an expanding nursery section. The club colours are green and black.
St. Patrick's GAA Club Donabate
St. Itas AFC
Although Ireland's east coast is not ideal for surfing
, surfers are regularly seen at Donabate beach. Kayaking
, sailing
and wind surfing are popular water sports especially in the Broadmeadow estuary with access from Donabate and Malahide. There are marinas in Rush and Malahide. Kite surfing is rising in popularity on the beaches of Portrane, Rush and Skerries. The use of jet skis and fast power boats is restricted by law in the estuaries and beaches and regulated by permit.
Both Donabate and Portrane beaches are manned by lifeguards during the summer months. In 2009 Portrane beach was among several Irish beaches to lose its blue flag status for beach excellence due to poor water quality.
club has enjoyed a long tradition since 1919 and enjoyed success in the Leinster senior league. The club suffered from the introduction of compulsory synthetic pitches in the 1990s as they were unable to continue use their grass pitch in St.Itas hospital. However the club had remained active and hope to move to an all-weather pitch on the site of the Secondary School scheduled for September 2010
Portrane Hockey Club
have recently become known as a site for bouldering
are available from the Newbridge House and Demesne website. The main entrance to Newbridge is from the Hearse road in Donabate. There is a pedestrian entrance from The Square in Donabate village.
. In 2009 a previously unrecognised rare portrait of William Shakespeare was found to have been hanging in the drawing room of the house.
The plan includes: bridges over the estuary; pedestrian links with Newbridge and the village; parking facilities; allotments; look-out towers; a new park on the old baleally landfill on the north side of the estuary; picnic areas;and 8 km of woodland and grassland trails.
is an important wetland habitat. It has several designations in recognition of this including that of Statutory Nature Reserve. Bird Watch Ireland owns land on both north and south shores of the inner estuary and played a large role in preserving the area in its natural state in spite of its proximity to large urban areas by purchasing tracts of land and entering into management agreements with the Council and landowners. The Fingal Branch of Bird Watch Ireland operates two hides in Rogerstown which are wardened at weekends during certain times of the year.
(SAC) and Special Protection Area
(SPA). The estuary has an internationally important population of Brent Goose and nationally important populations of other species of birds.
Donabate railway station
, in the centre of the town, is on the Dublin–Belfast
main line and is served by Northern Commuter line trains between Dublin and Dundalk
. The Transport 21
infrastructure plan envisages electrification north of Malahide
and through Donabate as far as Balbriggan
by 2015. Trains serving Donabate would be incorporated into a new DART
service between Balbriggan and Hazelhatch and Celbridge
, south of the capital, using the planned Interconnector
rail tunnel beneath Dublin city centre.
to Connolly
was passing over the viaduct when the driver noticed a subsidence and the embankment giving way on the northbound track. The train passed over the bridge before it collapsed and the driver alerted authorities. A major catastrophe was avoided but commuters faced significant subsequent disruption.
regional road, connecting Portrane to the R127
and the M1 motorway, runs through the town. Dublin Bus
service 33B from Swords
to Portrane
serves Donabate.
, journalist Charlie Weston and rock band The Delorentos. Frances Power Cobbe
(4 December 1822 – 5 April 1904) was an Irish writer who lived in Newbridge House and is known today as a social reformer, feminist theorist and pioneer animal rights activist.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, some 20 km north-northeast of Dublin City. The town is situated on a peninsula which it shares with the town of Portrane
Portrane
Portrane or Portraine ) is a small seaside town one kilometre from, and merging into the larger town of Donabate in Fingal, north County Dublin, Ireland.- St. Ita's Hospital :...
. This peninsula lies on Ireland's east coast, between the Rogerstown Estuary
Rogerstown Estuary
Rogerstown Estuary is an estuary in Ireland. It is situated just north of the Donabate-Portrane peninsula, and also south of Rush, on Ireland's east coast about north of Dublin....
to the north and Broadmeadow Estuary to the south. Donabate is in the administrative county of Fingal
Fingal
Fingal is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. With its county seat located in Swords, it has a population of 239,992 according to the 2006 census...
within the traditional County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
.
Name
The name of the area, Donabate, supposedly means "Fort of the ferry", from Dún a' Bháid, referring to an ancient church which is in the townsland of Ballymadrough, west of Donabate, near the Broadmeadow Estuary. Sadly, the true meaning has become lost in the mists of time.Geography
Rush, Dublin
Rush is a small seaside town, with a population of 8,280, situated between the communities of Skerries and Lusk in Fingal, Ireland. There has been a large population increase since the previous census in 2002, comprising mostly people from north Dublin....
South Beach but for a narrow channel entering the Rogerstown esutary. A stretch of low limestone cliffs to the south of Portrane beach leads to Donabate Beach which is the east face of the southern spit. The southern Broadmeadow estuary is likewise almost completely enclosed and is fed by the broadmeadow river. The shelter provided by the spits had made the estuaries important wildlife habitats and both are protected under the international Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
.
History
Donabate is reported to have had a population in 1912 of 734 persons living in 150 houses, and it remained a small village for more than a century. In recent years, however, because of the area's easy access to Dublin (improving roads and the presence of a railway station in the village), the population has begun growing quickly. In the 1996 census, the village's population was 1,868; by the time of the 2002 census it had doubled to 3,854, and by the 2006 census it was 5,499.Donabate today
Administratively, Donabate is in FingalFingal
Fingal is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. With its county seat located in Swords, it has a population of 239,992 according to the 2006 census...
, which is also known as North County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
. The Donabate-Portrane peninsula is in the Swords
Swords, Dublin
Swords is the county town of Fingal in Ireland. It is about 13 km north of Dublin city centre and is part of its commuter belt.- History :...
ward (or local electoral area, to give it its official title). The Swords ward is numerically the largest in Fingal county and elects five county councillors to Fingal County Council. In terms of national elections, the Donabate Portrane peninsula is the Dublin North constituency, which sends four Teachta Dála to Dáil Éireann.
Donabate Portrane Community Council
Donabate Parish Council
Donabate Portrane Community Council is community organisation in the Donabate Portrane Peninsula in Fingal. It is represented on the Fingal Community Forum. It is affiliated to Muintir na Tíre...
is the community council for the Donabate Portrane Peninsula.
Donabate Portrane Community and Leisure Centre is the area's newest public building, that opened in 2001. The town has an active Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, Scout Group (63rd Dublin 14th Port Donabate), and two soccer clubs (St. Ita's A.F.C and Portrane Athletic), a G.A.A club (St. Patrick's), a Karate club, a Tae-Kwon Do club, a snooker club, a Historical and Folklore Society, Tidy Towns Committee, a Bridge club, a Community centre and many more groups.
Religion
- St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church - parish of Donabate, Potrane and Balheary
- St Patrick's Church of Ireland
- Donabate Presbyterian Church (meet at Donabate Portrane Community Centre)
Schools
- Donabate Portrane Educate-Together National School
- St Patrick's gIRLS National School
- St Patrick's Boys National School
- Donabate Community College VEC
Golf
Donabate is well known for its high concentration of golf courses. There are six courses on the peninsula, many with views of the estuaries or the open sea and including linksLinks (golf)
A links is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word "links" comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes to open parkland. It also retains this more general meaning in the Scottish English dialect...
courses such as The Island which is ranked as one of the top 20 courses in Ireland.
- Beaverstown Golf Club
- The Island Golf Club
- Donabate Golf Club
- Balcarrick Golf Club
- Turvey Golf and Country Club
- Corballis Links Golf Club
GAA
St. Patrick's GAAGaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
(Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, Naomh Pádraig) club in Donabate dates from 1924. It is an active club with a membership of over 300 as of 2009. The club play at Robbie Farrell Park,
Ballymastone in Donabate. Gaelic Football and Hurling are played at adult level as well as at under-age levels from an expanding nursery section. The club colours are green and black.
St. Patrick's GAA Club Donabate
Soccer
St. Itas Athletic Football Club has been active in Donabate Portrane from the early 20th century. They currently play in the leinster league and field many underage players. The main pitch is the grounds of the St Ita's Hospital and they also play on pitches in Portrane and Balcarrick Road. Club colours are green and white.St. Itas AFC
Water sports
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, surfers are regularly seen at Donabate beach. Kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
and wind surfing are popular water sports especially in the Broadmeadow estuary with access from Donabate and Malahide. There are marinas in Rush and Malahide. Kite surfing is rising in popularity on the beaches of Portrane, Rush and Skerries. The use of jet skis and fast power boats is restricted by law in the estuaries and beaches and regulated by permit.
Both Donabate and Portrane beaches are manned by lifeguards during the summer months. In 2009 Portrane beach was among several Irish beaches to lose its blue flag status for beach excellence due to poor water quality.
Hockey
The Portrane HockeyHockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
club has enjoyed a long tradition since 1919 and enjoyed success in the Leinster senior league. The club suffered from the introduction of compulsory synthetic pitches in the 1990s as they were unable to continue use their grass pitch in St.Itas hospital. However the club had remained active and hope to move to an all-weather pitch on the site of the Secondary School scheduled for September 2010
Portrane Hockey Club
Bouldering
The cliffs between Donabate and PortranePortrane
Portrane or Portraine ) is a small seaside town one kilometre from, and merging into the larger town of Donabate in Fingal, north County Dublin, Ireland.- St. Ita's Hospital :...
have recently become known as a site for bouldering
Bouldering
Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas...
Culture
Newbridge House and DemesneNewbridge House and Demesne
Donabate has a fine historical "Big House and Estate" at Newbridge Demesne. Newbridge House is a Georgian mansion built for Cobbe Archbishop of Dublin in 1736. It sits on 370 acre (150 ha) of eighteenth century landscape parklands with perimeter woodland belts and fine vistas across lawns and wildflower meadows. The estate was bought by the council from the Cobbe family in 1985 and is now a public park, playground and model farm. The park is a popular recreational area all year round and visitors enjoy BBQs and picnics in the summer. The park also contains playing pitches used by local sports clubs. Opening times of the House, farm, coffee shop and park itselfare available from the Newbridge House and Demesne website. The main entrance to Newbridge is from the Hearse road in Donabate. There is a pedestrian entrance from The Square in Donabate village.
Newbridge House
Newbridge House was a location for the 1965 film The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (film)The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (film)
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a 1965 film adaptation of the novel of the same name by John le Carré. It was adapted by Paul Dehn and Guy Trosper. The film stars Richard Burton as Alec Leamas, along with Claire Bloom, Oskar Werner, Peter van Eyck, Sam Wanamaker, Rupert Davies and Cyril Cusack...
. In 2009 a previously unrecognised rare portrait of William Shakespeare was found to have been hanging in the drawing room of the house.
Newbridge Traditional Farm
The Farm at Newbridge can be found to the west and north of Newbridge House and beside the Walled Garden. Between 1989 and 1990 the County Council Parks Department undertook the renovation, reconstruction and restoration of the Courtyard, Haggard and adjoining buildings restoring it to its 19th-century Victorian character. A wide range of farm animals and fowl are now housed here, including many rare or show breeds, and it is a popular visitor attraction.Transition Town Donabate Portrane
Donabate has a vibrant Transition Town movement. There are currently a number of projects running in the Donabate area including a local weekly food market, and also to transform the disused St Ita's Gardens & Farm into a working community farm and orchard.Wildlife
In 2008 Fingal County Council published an ambitious plan to develop a large wildlife park and natural amenity that would span both sides of the Rogerstwon estuary. Fingal Parks Department gave a summary of some of the features of the plan as:
The proposed development shall include; new entrances, a car park with a 120 car parking spaces, 250 allotments,
3 km (2 mi) of walkways, a new bridge adjacent to the railway bridge, woodland and hedgerow planting, hay meadows,
reintroduction of cattle to graze the grasslands and interpretative facilities.
The plan includes: bridges over the estuary; pedestrian links with Newbridge and the village; parking facilities; allotments; look-out towers; a new park on the old baleally landfill on the north side of the estuary; picnic areas;and 8 km of woodland and grassland trails.
Rogerstown Estuary
Rogerstown EstuaryRogerstown Estuary
Rogerstown Estuary is an estuary in Ireland. It is situated just north of the Donabate-Portrane peninsula, and also south of Rush, on Ireland's east coast about north of Dublin....
is an important wetland habitat. It has several designations in recognition of this including that of Statutory Nature Reserve. Bird Watch Ireland owns land on both north and south shores of the inner estuary and played a large role in preserving the area in its natural state in spite of its proximity to large urban areas by purchasing tracts of land and entering into management agreements with the Council and landowners. The Fingal Branch of Bird Watch Ireland operates two hides in Rogerstown which are wardened at weekends during certain times of the year.
Broadmeadow Estuary
Broadmeadow Estuary, like the Rogerstown Estuary, is designated a Special Area of ConservationSpecial Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
(SAC) and Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
(SPA). The estuary has an internationally important population of Brent Goose and nationally important populations of other species of birds.
Rail
Donabate railway station
Donabate railway station serves Donabate in Fingal. Donabate railway station is owned by Iarnród Éireann. The station has two platforms, one for each of the two lines which runs through the station. Built in the mid-19th century, the station has a traditional appearance. The building has a small...
, in the centre of the town, is on the Dublin–Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
main line and is served by Northern Commuter line trains between Dublin and Dundalk
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
. The Transport 21
Transport 21
Transport 21 is an Irish infrastructure plan, announced in November 2005. It aims to greatly expand Ireland's transport network. A cost estimate of €34 billion was attached to the plan at the time....
infrastructure plan envisages electrification north of Malahide
Malahide
Malahide is a coastal suburban town, near Dublin city, located in the administrative county of Fingal, within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. It has a village-like centre and extensive residential areas to the south, west and northwest.-Name:...
and through Donabate as far as Balbriggan
Balbriggan
Balbriggan is a town in the northern part of the administrative county of Fingal, within County Dublin, Ireland. The 2006 census population was 15,559 for Balbriggan and its environs.- Name :...
by 2015. Trains serving Donabate would be incorporated into a new DART
Dublin Area Rapid Transit
The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is part of the suburban railway network in Ireland, running mainly along the coastline of Dublin Bay on the Trans-Dublin route, from Greystones in County Wicklow, through Dublin to Howth and Malahide in County Dublin.Trains are powered via a 1500V DC overhead catenary...
service between Balbriggan and Hazelhatch and Celbridge
Hazelhatch and Celbridge railway station
Hazelhatch and Celbridge railway station serves the village of Hazelhatch and the neighbouring large town of Celbridge in County Kildare.The station opened on 4 August 1846 and closed for goods traffic on 9 June 1947...
, south of the capital, using the planned Interconnector
Interconnector (rail tunnel)
DART Underground , previously known as the Interconnector, is a planned railway tunnel in Ireland, projected to run under the city centre of Dublin. The tunnel would allow for the expansion of the electrified DART and the Dublin Suburban Rail network, and connect Heuston Station with Pearse Station...
rail tunnel beneath Dublin city centre.
Viaduct collapse
On 21 August 2009 the 18:07 train from BalbrigganBalbriggan railway station
Balbriggan railway station serves Balbriggan in County Dublin. It is the northern limit of the Dublin suburban rail network and of the short hop zone.The station opened on 25 May 1844 and closed for goods traffic on 2 December 1974...
to Connolly
Dublin Connolly railway station
Dublin Connolly, commonly called Connolly station , is one of the main railway stations in Dublin, Ireland, and is a focal point in the Irish route network. Opened in 1844 as Amiens Street Station, the ornate facade has a distinctive Italianate tower at its centre...
was passing over the viaduct when the driver noticed a subsidence and the embankment giving way on the northbound track. The train passed over the bridge before it collapsed and the driver alerted authorities. A major catastrophe was avoided but commuters faced significant subsequent disruption.
Road
The R126R126 road
The R126 road is a regional road in Fingal, Ireland.The official description of the R126 from the Roads Act 1993 Order 2006 reads:-See also:*Roads in Ireland*National primary road*National secondary road...
regional road, connecting Portrane to the R127
R127 road
The R127 road is a regional road in Fingal, Ireland.The official description of the R127 from the Roads Act 1993 Order 2006 reads:-See also:*Roads in Ireland*National primary road*National secondary road...
and the M1 motorway, runs through the town. Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 18 night routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is...
service 33B from Swords
Swords, Dublin
Swords is the county town of Fingal in Ireland. It is about 13 km north of Dublin city centre and is part of its commuter belt.- History :...
to Portrane
Portrane
Portrane or Portraine ) is a small seaside town one kilometre from, and merging into the larger town of Donabate in Fingal, north County Dublin, Ireland.- St. Ita's Hospital :...
serves Donabate.
People
Famous residents of Donabate and Portrane include media guru Terry Prone, Irish actor Stephen ReaStephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
, journalist Charlie Weston and rock band The Delorentos. Frances Power Cobbe
Frances Power Cobbe
Frances Power Cobbe was an Irish writer, social reformer, and suffragist. She founded a number of animal advocacy groups, including the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection in 1898, and was a member of the executive council of the London National Society for Women's Suffrage.Frances was...
(4 December 1822 – 5 April 1904) was an Irish writer who lived in Newbridge House and is known today as a social reformer, feminist theorist and pioneer animal rights activist.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland