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Hello; M=E1rħaban; Ni = Hao; Ahoj; Hallo;=20 Salut; Shal=F3m; Dia dhuit; Ciao; Ohayl; Sal=E2m; CzeſĿ; = Ol=E1; Priv=E9t; Hola; Jambo;=20 Merhaba; Sawubona.

F.A.B. (Firhouse &=20 Bohernabreena) Community Network Services.

Newsletter=20 =96 November 2006.

INTRODUCTION:

The F.A.B.=20 Community=20 Network Services Group is an organisation recently established by a = group of=20 concerned residents to deal with issues within the Firhouse and = Bohernabreena=20 residential areas. These = issues=20 include traffic, parks, litter, social awareness & community = development. If=20 you have any issues you would like to raise or if you would be in a = position to=20 help out as much or as little as your lifestyle allows, please contact = us as=20 follows:

Mary=20 Roberts: = 087=20 9967225.

Website: = http://www.firbohgroup.org/.

E-mail: info@firbohgroup.org.=

FUN-DAY: =20 =20

F.A.B.=92s first=20 Family Fun-Day, incorporating qualification to represent the = Bohernabreena=20 Parish in the Community Games, took place on Sunday 11^th = June,=20 2006. We are sure anyone = who was=20 there will agree it was a resounding success. We would like to express = our=20 sincere thanks to all the Sponsors and the volunteers who helped out on = the day.=20

Following on from the Fun Day, 4 children participated in = the Dublin=20 Community Games Art final, with Glenn Plunkett winning gold at U8 boys; = two=20 swimmers participated in the swimming finals and 10 children took part = in the=20 Athletics final at Santry. = Damien=20 Thomson came 4^th in the 100m final.

LOCAL=20 ISSUES:

- F.A.B. have = written to=20 the V.E.C. requesting that the new sports hall at the Firhouse Community = College=20 be opened for community use. The V.E.C. advised that the hall will open = from=20 early new year. A committee to run the hall should be in place by = December and=20 ads for Management Staff should be in the papers in the next 2 weeks.=20

- We are = raising local=20 issues with South Dublin County Council on a regular basis. If you feel = that=20 there are any items of concern that need to be raised, please make = contact with=20 us via any of the above channels.

- The = Community Centre=20 Development group met this week. = The main focus of the committee is to build a facility that will = enhance=20 the park, together with a playground. =20 Tallaght Youth Service has expressed an interest in being the = anchor=20 tenant. New drawings are = currently=20 being drafted and the group will engage with the architects from the = onset to=20 ensure their requirements are being included.

Please note that=20 this is a Community Facility, not to be confused with a Community = Centre. It is envisaged that this = facility will=20 be more family orientated and will facilitate smaller more intimate = activities,=20 e.g. dancing, yoga, meetings, youth groups, parent/toddler, arts & = crafts,=20 Drugs Awareness Programmes, etc. = It=20 will not cater for indoor sports as this is already catered for at the = local=20 Firhouse Community Centre and the new Firhouse College P.E. Hall. We hope that the Community = Facility will=20 also serve the local community as a local Citizen Information Centre.=20

YOUTH=20 DROP-IN: = &nbs= p; =20 &nbs= p; =20

We = are still=20 hoping to organise a weekly youth drop-in night in the Firhouse = Community=20 Centre. This is currently in the very early planning stages as we have=20 encountered problems securing premises. This will be aimed at the 15+ = age group=20 and will be unlike a youth club in that the young people will decide = what they=20 want to do. There will be adult supervision, but there will be no = interference=20 from the adults unless deemed necessary.

JUNK=20 COLLECTION:

The junk=20 collection was carried out by South Dublin County Council in August. = This year=20 Ballycullen View, Daletree, Oakdale & Ely were included. We are in = contact=20 with SDCC and have been told that Beech Dale & Parklands will be = included in=20 next year=92s collection.

BALLYCRAGH=20 PARK:

Park Ranger=20 - Mr. Willie Byrne, = Tel. 086=20 2515539.

Another clean up=20 of the park was carried out on Saturday, 21^st October. Future clean-ups will take = place on the=20 third Saturday of every month from 2 =96 3 p.m. (excluding December) and = will be=20 advertised on our website.

OTHER=20 INFORMATION:

- As part of = the=20 Tallaght Drugs Education & Prevention Programme 2006/2007 a Drugs = Awareness=20 Programme for local parents will be held in the Parents Room at Firhouse = Community College. This is a very informative 5 week course commencing = on=20 Tuesday, 7^th November from 10 =96 11.30 a.m. or = 7.30 =96=20 9.00 p.m. (Parents have = the option=20 of attending the morning or evening course). There will be no charge for = this course.=20

- Please note = that=20 contact numbers for local groups or amenities can all be obtained on our = website. The Community Guards for the area are:

Patrick Tarrant,=20 Rathfarnham Garda Station. Tel. (01) 6666500.

Paul Flood,=20 Tallaght Garda Station. Tel. (01) 6666000.

The Youth=20 Officer for the area is Jean Lowry of the Tallaght Youth Service. Jean may be contacted at = 4515322 for=20 further youth information & activities.

- Finally, the = season of=20 goodwill is fast approaching. = If=20 you are involved in a local group or organisation and are looking for a = charity=20 to donate to for Christmas, why not consider Operation Christmas = Child. All you have to do is fill a = shoe-box=20 with gifts for boys or girls in different age categories. These boxes are collected from = local=20 drop-off points and sent to children in impoverished countries. Many of these children have = nothing and=20 it=92s their only Christmas present. =20 If you are interested, leaflets explaining what to do are = available from=20 Rachel Kavanagh, Tel. 087 9296066.

- The next FAB = meeting=20 takes place on Friday, 10^th November at 10 a.m. in the = Parents Room=20 at Firhouse Community College. If you are interested in getting involved = please=20 come along.

=20

Prepared=20 by: Margaret Hackett; Rachel Kavanagh; Mairead = Flanagan.

Printed=20 by: Bohernabreena Community Enterprise.

Funded=20 By: South Dublin Co. Council.