Established in November 2023, we are a group of residents working together on behalf of our community to campaign for and work towards a purpose-built arts, cultural, heritage and youth centre for current and future residents of the growing peninsula.
Art, Culture, Heritage & Youth Centre
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Donabate Portrane
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Art, Culture, Heritage & Youth Centre ✴︎ Donabate Portrane ✴︎
Fundraising Campaign 2025
We have launched our iDonate fundraiser page for 2025.
All funds collected will go directly to the campaign and will be used to cover costs such as web hosting, legal fees, planning submissions, publications, admin and printing.
Screenshot the QR code on the left or click to be brought to the iDonate page.
It all began with a public meeting where the community gave us a mandate to campaign for this long promised facility. .
The Local Area Plan (LAP) has a strategic objective to provide a Cultural and Performing Arts Centre for Donabate Portrane since 2016.
We have two core objectives that guide all our activities and ensure we stay focused on our goals of obtaining this facility:
The provision of a dedicated performance space (e.g. stage, theatre, auditiorium) for the arts and cultural groups on the peninsula. This facility should also include purpose built spaces for use by arts/cultural groups – e.g. workshops for artists of all disciplines, studios for rehearsal, dance studios (with proper flooring) and smaller music practicing/tuition rooms (with soundproofing etc).
The provision of a dedicated full-time youth centre with indoor ‘hang-out’ facilities, recreational activities (pool tables, tabletennis etc.) and supporting services (e.g. organized activities, counselling, youth support) provided by a government funded professional youth service. This space should be non-denominational and large enough to facilitate our growing teen population.
Why we need this facility
(and we really do)
There are 4,000 new housing units under construction in Donabate.
This means that our population is set to grow by 83% within the next five years.
Where is the community infrastructure to support this exploding population?
In 2005 the population was over 5,000 residents. This equates to 0.60 square metres of indoor community space per person. In 2022 this had dropped to 0.25 sqm per person. This explains the increasing and unsustainable pressure on indoor community space we have experienced in recent years.
In 2024, with the addition of Ballisk House (former credit union building) and its extension, the community space per person will be almost exactly the same; 0.26 per person per sqm. As demonstrated in recent years this provision will not be enough to provide adequate services to our rapidly expanding community. Already we have witnessed active groups with dedicated membership having to cease their activities because they have no space on the peninsula. How is this right?
What was
promised
The Donabate Portrane Local Area Plan (LAP) is a statutory document developed by FCC in consultation with residents. It is a framework for the planned, co-ordinated and sustainable development of undeveloped lands on the peninsula. The LAP is consistent with Fingal’s Core Strategy and the Government’s RESEs strategy. It sets out the quantum, location and phasing of development for the plan period, which correlates with the regional population targets.
At its core, the LAP aims to ensure that any new development in Donabate is accompanied by the required community, educational, transport, drainage, and recreational infrastructure to ensure the protection and enhancement of local amenities and the continued growth of local services in Donabate.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:
“2.2 Provide a framework for a growing population with phased development of new housing deliverd in tandem with supporting community and physical infrastructure.”
“6.12 Support the provision of a Community/ Cultural/Exhibition and Performing Arts Centre for Donabate-Portrane and encourage the development of multi-functional community buildings which are not used exclusively by any one group.”
Dedicated Multi-Purpose Arts, Culture, Heritage & Youth Centre
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Dedicated Multi-Purpose Arts, Culture, Heritage & Youth Centre for All
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Dedicated Multi-Purpose Arts, Culture, Heritage & Youth Centre ✴︎ Dedicated Multi-Purpose Arts, Culture, Heritage & Youth Centre for All ✴︎
We represent local arts, culture, youth and heritage groups.
We care about our community and want to ensure that there are facilities to support our growing youth population as well as arts and cultural activities for all residents.
We believe we should have a dedicated youth centre for our large teen population.
31%
of our population are under 19 years old
84%
want a dedicated youth worker for our community
83%
of residents say we don’t have safe places for young people to hang out.
84%
of residents want a dedicated youth centre
