Orienteering – October 5/6

The main local activity this weekend is Setanta’s Leinster Autumn Series event at Fair Mountain, beside the Wicklow Gap, also known sometimes as Glashaboy Brook. The Grid Reference is O 075 002. Signposted from Laragh; start times 11 to 1 pm. See earlier map and courses here. There are more details on the Setanta web site here. This is a pretty rough but challenging open mountain area, maybe not everyone’s cup of tea, but the forecast for the weekend is good!

If you’re up and about on Saturday morning, don’t forget the Marlay Park Run 5 km at 9.30 am. It’s free – see details here. If you’re signing up, 3ROC are already in there as a club.

If you’ve done the Park Run and you want more, how about LVO’s Autumn Series event at Slieve Garron near Ballynahinch in Co. Down? This was part of the JK Individual area which we weren’t allowed to run on beause of birds. See details here. Starts are 12 to 1 and only Yellow, Orange and Green courses will be available.

Remember to enter the Northern Ireland Championships (October 12th), the Connacht Championships (October 27th) and the Munster Championships (November 3rd). The NIOC entry fee has just shot up from £12 to £20, but the others are still affordable.

Good luck to the Irish team travelling to Norfolk for the Veteran Home International this weekend.

If you want to try something different when you’re not orienteering this weekend, it’s Open House weekend in Dublin, with 100 buildings open to the public. Details here.

Help keep Bull Island available for orienteering.

Hi everyone,
We need your help!
You may have heard recently that the Dublin Port Company, owners of 10.8 hectares of Bull Island, are prepared to transfer ownership of the land to Dublin City Council as a ‘community gain’ initiative. The company will also allocate up to €1.2 million towards a master plan for Bull Island and the development of new services or facilities identified for the island.  (This will apply to the whole island and not just to the 10.8 hectares land transfer.)  The ‘community gain’ initiative is dependent on the Dublin Port Company receiving planning permission to develop Alexandra Basin as a deep sea port.
The Dublin Port Company now seeks feedback from visitors to Bull Island on current uses and potential uses of the area.  On behalf of Ajax Orienteers I plan to make a submission for continued of the area for orienteering.
It will strengthen our case if as many as possible respond to the Dublin Port Company, stating that they visit Bull Island regularly and use it for orienteering.
Contact details for the Dublin Port Company are:
Charlie Murphy, Dublin Port Company, Alexandra Road, D1.
Tel: 8876000
The Dublin Port Company also require feedback on their plans for the development of the port. Responses are accepted until Friday, 18th October 2013.  Further details are available at: http://www.dublinportabr.ie/
Kind regards,
Aonghus O’Cléirigh
Ajax Orienteers