Dublin South RTA

Bus for Slieve Bloom Walk Wednesday, 24^th June 2026

RTAI South Dublin Branch has decided to hire a 53 seater coach to facilitate members who wish to travel to Kinnity on Wednesday 24th June for our annual walking day out!

Corduff Travel coach will do a pick up at:

• Foxrock Church carpark 7.50am. 
• Rathmines 8.30am (possibly beside Aldi across from Swan Leisure, exact location to be confirmed nearer the day)
• Red Cow Luas carpark 9.00am. Please note there is a €4 per day parking charge at The Red Cow Luas carpark, ticket to be purchased on platform.
• Arrive Kinnity 11.00am

Coach will leave Kinnity to return to Dublin at 18.30.

RTAI South Dublin Branch will subsidise the cost of the coach and the dining charges.

Travel by Coach (seat reservation will be on a first come first served basis)

€15 per passenger for the return journey.

Booking options:

1. Online by submitting €15, by Friday, 19^th June to: IBAN: IE09 AIBK 9332 9514 4160 65  BIC: AIBKIE2D. Please include your full name with the online banking transfer. 

1. In addition, send an email to marcellaosullivan@hotmail.com (or text 087-6838424) giving your full name, mobile number and the stop where you will board the bus.

• Send €15 by post to: Marcella O’Sullivan, 5 Mount Alton Court, Dublin 16, D16 ER24, by Friday, 19^th June and include your full name, mobile number and the stop where you will board the bus. Please note that delivery of post can be slow.

• Revolut €15 to 0879848424 with your full name by Friday, 19^th June.

1.  In addition, send an email to marcellaosullivan@hotmail.com giving your full name, mobile number and the stop where you will board the bus.

Coach travellers will be invited to join a WhatsApp group to facilitate up to date information on coach data.

Giltrap’s, Kinnity 

This year there will be a charge of €25 for tea/coffee/scones on arrival and dinner later in the day.

The €25 for food, (exact cash only please), will be collected on arrival at Giltrap’s.

Míle, mile buíochas to Carmel Dempsey and her team in Kinnity who put in trojan work and ever and always make the Kinnity Walking Outing such an enjoyable day for us all.

Sliabh Bloom Walk
Wed 24th June. 
Duration 3 –  4 hours
This walk is mainly on forestry roads and paths with an escape route for a shorter walk. 
Water,  boots  or runners & wet  gear . 
Meet at 11.30 in Giltraps pub in Kinnity village for coffee, tea and sandwiches.
BBQ meal after  .
Cost ———.   ( cash if possible ) 
The people travelling by bus will sign in and  pay on the bus. It will save a big queue forming while
we are having  tea /coffee etc.
For further info contact
Carmel  087 242 0554 or 
Deirdre  087 774 1953  by Friday 19th .
NO need to contact us if you are on the bus. 
 
Directions for Sliabh Bloom Walk

1. Take the N7 (M7) and drive for approximately 45 minutes to Exit 15 (R422). Drive through : Emo,
   Mountmellick ( keep left at second Roundabout at END OF TOWN), Rosenallis, Clonaslee,
   Cadamstown, Kinnitty. Approx 1hour 50 minutes.
2. Alternative Route: Drive M7 to Exit 18 and take the R445 to Mountrath. Turn right at the lights
   and take an immediate left onto R 440 for Kinnitty. Drive for 5km and then turn right at House  (
   stone façade) still R440. Drive
   up over the Sliabh Blooms. On descent keep left for Kinnitty (a winding road).
3. Some people like to go on M6 and Exit 5 (N52) Tullamore and then onto Kinnitty
   There is on street parking in Kinnitty village and at the Community centre.

Because of the inclement weather this morning and in the interest of safety, we decided to defer the
RTA cycle trip to Sallins to next Thursday, 18 th June.
Those interested in participating in this cycle should note that it will take place on Thursday next,
18 th June and not on Tuesday.
The cycle route, from the meeting point in Inchicore to Sallins, is beside the Grand Canal, is 30km
each way, and is entirely off-road. Our destination is Sallins where we will have lunch (Café Grange)
before returning by the same route. Those who cycled this route last March sang its praises and
were keen to repeat it before the Summer holidays beckon. The newly-developed stretch of the
Grand Canal cycle way from Lucan to Hazelhatch was opened in late 2025 thus opening the cycle
way right through to Sallins. We look forward to a good turnout for this lovely cycle – ordinary push
cycles or electric bikes welcome.
We will meet at the Blackhorse Inn (now closed) in Inchicore and set off at 10.30. All cyclists are
required to wear a helmet.
This cycle will be the last of the school year; the RTA cycling will resume in early September.
Pat Fitzgerald
Mick Griffin

1 in 8 adults are deficient in vitamin B12 and 1 in 7 in folate

1 in 4

older adults receive inappropriate medications

Only

20-30% of ageing is explained by genetics

20 Insights

Evidence from TILDA: Building a

Vitamin D

deficiency is widespread, especially in winter

Positive perceptions of ageing are linked to bett health and more active lives

TILDA evidence has informed

Irish Policy

74%

of older adults take part in

social activities each week

Coastal blue space supports

Mental Health

Over

1 in 3

older adults live with multiple conditions

Tooth loss is linked to poorer health and higher mortality

11

from 20 Years better future for ageing in Ireland

Over

1 in 3

older adults take 5 or more medications

Open-fire smoke harms brain health

Cleaner air

reduces chronic lung disease

Wellbeing often improves from midlife into older age

Lifelong learning strengthens brain resilience

45%

of adults aged

50+ own a pet

The built

environment shapes

Autonomy

Wealth and Health

in later lite

1 in 6

adults over 50 provide regular unpaid care

Complex needs drives most healthcare use

The annual pre-Bloomsday walk by members of the James

Joyce Institute of Ireland will take place on Sunday 14th June

2026, starting at 2 pm at Fusiliers’ Arch on the Grafton Street

corner of St Stephen’s Green.

 

The walk, involving on-location readings and dramatisations,

follows various sections of the Wandering Rocks episode of

Ulysses.

 

The walk will proceed down Grafton Street to College Green,

and via Trinity Street and Wicklow Street to Nassau Street,

and onwards towards Merrion Square. It is expected to last

about two hours and is open to members of the public.

 

No booking is required but you are advised to bring a copy of Ulysses if you have one.

The walk will be guided by Robert Nicholson, author of The Ulysses Guide: Tours through Joyce’s Dublin.

River Dodder Walk

Our May Social Walk will start from the Dropping Well Pub in Milltown, established 1847, and follow the course of the river Dodder upstream to Bushy Park, Rathfarnham and return again to the starting point.  Enjoy nature, history, great company and glorious May weather.

The walk is just under 5km on good paths and will take about one hour. Please wear comfortable walking shoes or trainers.We will enjoy refreshments together after the walk.

 

DATE: Wednesday 27 May 2026.

MEET at 11am at The Dropping Well Pub, Milltown Road. D06 N1F8

LEADER: Bridie Mahon  

Transport

Take the Luas Green Line to either Windy Arbour Station or Milltown Station. We meet midway between these two stations. It’s a 4 minute walk to the start point.

The S4 bus passes our start point at The Dropping Well, Milltown. This bus runs from UCD Belfield to Kylemore Road.

Take bus 44  to Alexandra College Milltown, then a 5 minutewalk to the start point. Passing under the Nine Arches Luas bridge, admire this bridge built in the1850s for the HarcourtStreet to Bray train. The 44 bus runs from DCU to Enniskerry.

There is car parking in the pub car-park.     

Looking forward to your company.

Bridie Mahon 087 743 28 44

 

Social walks are held monthly, September to May, on the third Wednesday of the month. Flat or nearly flat walks that are approximately 5km. Always a stop for refreshments arranged for after each walk. If you would like to suggest a route forthe 2026-2027 Programme of Social Walks, please take a few minutes to contact Cora Quinn by text on her mobile 087 989 1610. Leave the location of the walk, your name and your number. I will call you back for the details. You’re not expected to lead it, but you can if you so wish

We have a speaker for our next Drop-in. Sinead is an Occupational Therapist and will give a talk ” A fall changes all”

Because the May meeting has been scheduled to take place this Wednesday May 20th, the date of
the harder walk for May has been changed to Wednesday,  May 27th. We are also doing a different
walk to the listed one.
 
The walk we propose to do is Djouce Mountain, from the JB Malone car park, overlooking Lough
Tay. 

To get there, it is best to take the M50 and turn off for Glendalough at Kilmacanogue. Follow the
R755 for about 5km till you come to a right turn taking you onto R759. Take this road for
approximately 6 km passing the Pier gates leading down to Luggala on the left. The car park is on the
right hand side uphill shortly  after that, overlooking Lough Tay.

We plan to leave from the car park at 10.30 am. 
A lot of the walk is on a board walk, which we then leave to go to the summit of Djouce. Total time
of walk is about 4 hours. 
Boots are essential and bring walking poles if you can. Coming down off Djouce is steep and gravelly,
and can be slippery. Rain gear, lunch and a drink are necessary too. 
This is a lovely walk with beautiful views and is not particularly difficult.
Looking forward to a good turnout. 
Deirdre McGloughlin 087-7741953

Some dates for your diary

1. Wednesday 4th March 12.00.Drop-in. Details attached
2. Thursday 5th March. Talk in Ballyboden GAA, details attached
3. Tuesday 21st April Miscellany. Details attached
4. Thursday 16th July. RTA Dublin South  Golf outing in St Helens

Drop-in March 4 th 2026
Dear RTA colleague
I wish to remind you that our guest speaker on Wed. 4 th March, will be Ms Patsy Fitzsimons
from Decision Support Services ( DSS)
This promises to be a most interesting and informative presentation, as it will outline how
people can make legal arrangements on how they can be supported in making decisions
about their personal welfare, property and affairs.
Ms Fitzsimons will outline the services the DSS provides. In addition, she will discuss the
following:
Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity ) Act 2015
What is/not capacity
Assisted Healthcare Directive (AHD): creating, maintaining, changing & ending an AHD
Role of Designated Healthcare Representative
Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA)
Process of creating, registering, maintaining, changing, ending an EPA and related costs
It is hoped to have a 10/15 min Q/A session at the end of her presentation. If you would like
me to raise a question on your behalf, just email me your query, and I will bring it to the
attention of Patsy, mmacfhlann@gmail.com
In the meantime, I suggest you log on to the DSS website, which contains a large amount of
related information, and read about some of the aforementioned.
Looking forward to your attendance on the day in Ballyroan Community Centre
Kindly note that doors to the hall will be open from 11:45 hrs onwards. So come early and
have a tea/coffee before the start of the talk at 12 noon
Yours in decision-making
Micheál Mac Fhlannchadha

The Importance of Being Oscar

In 1960 Micheál MacLiammóir, co-founder of Dublin’s Gate Theatre,
launched his celebrated one-man show, The Importance of Being Oscar
at the Dublin Theatre Festival, under the direction of Hilton Edwards. It
was praised by critics as “an outstandingly skillful and memorable tribute
from one Irish artist to another”. Over the next fifteen years they took
the show all over the world, where it was universally received with great
enthusiasm by both audience and press.
In this highly acclaimed revival, actor Michael Judd, takes his audience
on a spirited and entertaining journey from Dublin to Paris via London
and New York recounting the wit, triumphs, and tragedy of Oscar Wilde,
in an explosion of richness, boldness, passion and beauty. This
outstandingly skillful tribute, written by macLiammóir, celebrates the
poetry, letters, and dramatic writings of Wilde. Includes excerpts from
An Ideal Husband, Earnest, and particularly moving interpretations of
De Profundis and Ballad of Reading Gaol. The irresistible gaiety of Oscar
survives to the curtain line, assuring the audience of a vivid and
memorable experience of theatre. Includes original music from New
York composer Nico Kean.

Golf Outing to St Helen’s Bay

Following on from our very successful visit to St Helen’s Bay Golf Club last year, Peigí and I have
booked the venue again for July 16 for our annual outing.  This is a Thursday, so the course should
be much less congested than last year.   The tee has been booked from 11.00 to 1.00, so we can
accommodate up to 40 members, in groups of 4.
The golfing package – €55 – includes the following:
Mini Breakfast
Green fees
RTAI competition
Dinner (main course) & presentation of prizes
This offer is on a first come basis and I am sending it out in plenty of time so that you can fit in the
golf with perhaps booking a holiday in the sunny south east and extending your stay in sunny
Wexford!   The final entry date is March 30, as I will have to let the club know our final numbers.
Please contact me by text message on 087 273 2089 to book and confirm your Golf
Ireland handicap index.  If you are a member of a golfing society only, please have the Secretary
confirm your playing handicap.
Hopefully we will once again get sponsorship from the Branch towards prizes.  We welcome
sponsorship from all quarters!  If you are aware of any sponsorship possibilities, please try to
organise same for the outing.  As the advert. Says, “every little helps”!
Should you wish to use a golf buggy, you must book same from the proshop yourself.  The club has
purchased a number of new electric buggies this year.  The cost for a buggy has been increased to
€40.  So sharing a buggy with another member will be an additional cost of €20 per person sharing. 
The number for the proshop is 053 9133 234. 
I shall collect the money by Revolut, so that all you need to do on the day is to turn up and enjoy! 
When you pay by Revolut, please reference the payment by including your name or names, if
paying for more than one person.  Otherwise I cannot know who the payment is for!
I look forward to a great day, full of sunshine and good golf.  Our sincere thanks to Peigi O Ruairc
who is on the ground in SHB, acting as our liaison person.

There are a few spaces still available for this trip. Please forward your details to 087 2732089 before May 1st

I’d like to commend RTAI on the amount of activities you offer for retired teachers. The ballroom
dancing classes at the Teachers Club are really enjoyable. 

I’m directing a super play by Deirdre Kinahan called ‘Bogboy’ about ‘the disappeared’ – a good mix of
drama and humour, which won Cavan Drama Festival in November and won lots of awards on the
One Act Circuit. We have resurrected the play and it will be on in T@36, the theatre at the Teachers
Club next month,  8-11 April 8pm, with another one act play ‘Dead Asset’, a dark comedy, under the
title ‘Murder and Mystery’. 

‘MURDER AND MYSTERY’ at The Teachers Club. 

Coming up in April is ‘Murder and Mystery’ – 2 intriguing 1 Act plays ‘Bogboy’ by Deirdre
Kinahan, directed by Joanne Keane (Balally Players) and ‘Dead Asset’ written and directed by Ray
MacBride, 8-11 April in T@36, 8pm, The Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square West,  Dublin 1, D01 T6V6
Tickets €20/€18. Low priced previews Wed 8 Apr.

RTAI Social Walk Wednesday, 18 th March 2026: Tolka Estuary Greenway
Leader: Carol Jackson Mobile: 0868849892
Meet at Clontarf Road DART Station from 10.45am with departure @ 11am
Walk along Alfie Byrne Road to Eastpoint Business Park and then along the Tolka Estuary
Greenway. The walk from the DART station to the start of the greenway is approx. 1.4 km &
the greenway is around 3km long, so a total of 4.4 km one way. It is a linear walk with the
possibility of getting the 53 bus back from near the Circle K station, Dublin Ferryport to
Talbot Street in town. On a clear day this walk offers lovely views of the Tolka Estuary,
Clontarf coastline, Clontarf Sea Baths, Bull Wall, Howth Head, etc. It’s a flat walk with a
good surface so runners are fine.
Refreshments/ Toilet Stop: There is a Circle K station about half way along the greenway
which serves a good variety of both hot and cold food. It also has a large indoor seated area.
If the weather is good, feel free to bring your own refreshments as there’s lots of outdoor
seating on the greenway (with scenic views) near the Circle K. Also there are plenty of
coffee shops in Fairview upon return to Clontarf Road DART station.
Suggested Transport Options:

• DART to Clontarf Road Station
• Bus 130 from Talbot St. to Clontarf Road Station. There are lots of other buses which go
  from town & along the Malahide Rd, Howth Rd. & Clontarf Rd (just ask for the nearest
  stop
  to Clontarf Road DART Station).
• By Car: There is some limited paid parking at Clontarf Road DART Station. There is also
  paid parking along the seafront at Clontarf Road. Free parking is generally available a 5-10
  minute walk away on St. Aidan’s Park Road (at the Fairview end of the Malahide Road),
  Marino Park or Croydon Park Avenue.

Our hard walk next Wednesday, March 25 th , is a hill walk to Maulin Mountain, in Wicklow, and will take 3.5 – 4 hrs. 
Meet at Crone Woods Car Park at 10.30am. Location code is 5Q8J+2V.
Car park is accessible via R 115, towards Glencree, turning left onto L 1013, after the turn for
Glencree. Car park is approximately 6km from that turn. 
Also accessible from M50, taking the turn for Glendalough at Kilmacanogue, turning slight right onto
R760 after 3km, and  after Coolakay House turning right onto L1013.
The journey from the southside of the city to the car park takes about 40 minutes. 
Hiking boots and walking poles are essential for this walk. The ground is boggy in that area and could
be very muddy in places. 
Bring lunch, a drink and waterproofs.
This is a lovely walk,  but is uphill for about 90 minutes till we reach the top of Maulin , where we
should have nice views over towards Djouce.

 After lunch the walk is all downhill, mostly on the Wicklow Way, with views of Powerscourt
Waterfall and the Powerscourt Estate. 
Looking forward to a good turnout!
Leader: Deirdre McGloughlin

May meeting:  Due to circumstances beyond our control,  the date of the May meeting is changed. It will  now be on Wednesday 20th May.   Sorry for any inconvenience.

April Drop-in. Although it is Holy Week, the Drop-in will still go ahead on Wednesday 1st April.

Those interested in the RTA cycling should note that it will take place on Thursday next, 26th March and not on Tuesday.
On Thursday we will cycle from our usual meeting place in Inchicore to Sallins. The cycle route is beside
the Grand Canal, is 30km each way, and is entirely off-road. Our destination is Sallins where we will have
lunch (Café Grange) before returning by the same route. This is the first time that we cycle to Sallins – the
newly-developed stretch of the Grand Canal cycle way from Lucan to Hazelhatch was opened in late 2025
thus opening the cycle way right through to Sallins. We look forward to a good turnout for this lovely cycle –
ordinary push cycles or electric bikes welcome.
We will meet at the Blackhorse Inn (now closed) in Inchicore and set off at 10.30. All cyclists are required to
wear a helmet.
Pat Fitzgerald
Mick Griffin