ITTN’s Louise Ducrocq had a grand time yesterday, exploring Donabate and Portrane with O’Hea PR and Cairn Homes. She spent the most fabulous day with journalists Claire Craig and Penny Mccormick with Gloss, Claire Hyland, Lorraine Keane, Myles Mcweeney, Bairbre Power, Joan Scales, and Dee Woods with Radio Nova. The trip was put together by Roisin O’Hea from O’Hea PR, Tom Noonan, Head of Marketing from Cairn Homes, and Sarah Glavey, Portfolio Marketing Manager from Cairn Homes.
The merry bunch and I walked 1.7km from Donabate train station to Portrane beach in a gorgeous 22° weather, stumbling upon Balcarrick Martello Tower, St Ita’s Hospital, Lambay Island, and of course – the cherry on the cake – Tower Bay. We got to meet Terry. She is the storyteller and current residee of Tower Bay, a privately owned Mortello Tower. Terry had always dreamt of living in such a tower. Her husband Tom, along with their sons Bryan and Anton, made her dream come true by renovating Tower Bay. They made it into a family home. Brick by brick, the whole family discovered the amazingly rich history of that building. From hosting the ancestor of the Irish Coat Guard, one whisky bottle at a time, to influencing Napoleon’s combat strategy, Terry talked us through the infinite historical significance of Tower Bay. I got to experience, almost unexpectedly, the most unique tour I have ever been a part of here in Ireland.
After exploring those wonderful milestones along the Donabate & Portrane Cliff Walk, which our lovely storyteller Marion Lynders guided us through, we ended the day at Newbridge House, for a laughter-filled Summer Soirée. We were met with champagne, delicious French wine and locally-sourced Irish bites in this gorgeous manor-adjacent institution.
Cairn Homes is developing a new community of 1,200 homes for around 350 families, offering a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom houses. The development includes a 32-acre nature park with cattle and walking trails, linked to a greenway that leads to Smith’s Pub, known for its food and drink. The entire site will be easily accessible via Donabate train station, combining rural charm with strong transport connections.
We all got our steps in, absorbed the sunny Vitamin D, chatted plenty and got rewarded with delicious food and drinks. What more could one want?!
