Pop Up Gaeltacht Chois Bá
Our local Pop Up Gaeltacht brings together Bayside residents and visitors with a love of or interest in the Irish language and BCA supports this initiative by promoting and engaging with this friendly, relaxed and very sociable monthly gathering. Pop Up Gaeltacht Chois Bá meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month from 8pm in the Bayside Inn and has grown in popularity since it began in March 2018. It’s a fantastic cultural and economic asset for Bayside and the efforts of the organisers was recognised by an invitation to Áras an Uachtaráin for Seachtain na Gaeilge in March 2020.
Bunaíodh Pop Up Gaeltacht Chois Bá i mí an Mhárta 2018 agus sar i bhfad bhí breis is 50 duine ag freastal ar cruinnithe míosúla sa teach tábhairne áitiúil, an Bayside Inn. Ní amháin go dtugann sé deis do dhaoine Gaeilge a labhairt go rialta, ach spreagann sé daoine chun dul i ngleic leis an teanga arís. Ní haon ionadh é go gcloistear Gaeilge i gCois Bá na laethanta seo!
Ba mhór an onóir é do Pop Up Gaeltacht Chois Bá cuireadh a fháil do Áras an Uachtaráin do Sheachtain na Gaeilge i mí an Mhárta 2020. Bhí na cruinnithe ar Zoom nó ar an bpáirc áitiúil fad is a bhí srianta na paindéime i bhfeidhm, ach táimid ar ais sa Bayside Inn anois.
Bayside Community Orchard
The Orchard development has been one of our most successful BCA projects. It was initiated by local gardener Brendan Cairney in 2019. Over the following years, volunteers from the community (with little else to do due to Covid restrictions!) turned a neglected green into a thriving community orchard. We were delighted to be featured in the RTE program Nationwide in 2020. Depending on the season, we invite everyone from the Bayside community to take freely of our fruit trees, berry bushes, strawberries, herbs, lettuces and vegetables.
We continue to work in the orchard most Saturday mornings. If you would like to learn about gardening and composting or just want to meet others from the community, we welcome you to join us. Mail us at bayside1967@gmail to be added to our Whatsapp group.
You can see the amazing transformation from neglected green to community orchard in the short video below.
The BCA Weekly Wednesday Litterpickers
The Weekly Wednesday Litterpickers meet weekly on Wednesdays to litterpick! If you like living in a clean community, would like to get some exercise and to meet like-minded Bayside residents, then join us for our weekly litterpick. We meet at 9am at the Bayside DART station and provide litterpickers and bags. Message Susan Glynn 0876106004 or just turn up.
Boules at Alden
Fingal County Council, at the behest of local residents, installed four Boules Pistes on Alden Park in late 2019. They proved to be a wonderful addition to the amenities of the area and a godsend for the local senior citizens in particular. The game is suitable for all ages and the primary school have slots during the week. There are organised groups playing on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings and there are Matchplay competitions organised for random slots over the remainder of the week. Contact any group, any morning, for further information.
Children’s Garden
The Children’s garden development gave a space for small children to come and play outdoors in a safe and fun environment. Thinking of families struggling to entertain young children during these times, we created a hidden children’s garden with a ‘mud kitchen’ and play cottages surrounded by shrubs. It was a simple, low-cost idea that has brought a ton of fun to small children.
Arts
Community arts such as the Children’s rainbow, Winter Wonderland and Elf Town art installations brought all ages together to build paint and construct an exciting space for families and general public to enjoy outdoors. We are very greatful to our local artist Karen Lee who is the mastermind behind these fantastic initiatives.
Also, revamping areas such as the DART underpass mural which was commissioned by BCA with the support of Fingal Co Co and painted by Shane Sutton, artist is of particular pride to the BCA and a great example of how public spaces can be transformed from dark and uninspiring into wonderful uplifting experiences.