This is because each of the mouths of both estuaries surrounding the peninsula are partially closed by large sand spits stretching north to south.

The shelter provided by the spits makes the estuaries important wildlife habitats and both are protected under the international Ramsar Convention.

In recent years, the area's access to the capital city of Dublin has improved with upgraded roads and the re-opening of a former railway station.

[1] Donabate & Portrane - a history was first written and published in 1988 by Peadar Bates, Donabate/Portrane historian, at the promptings of the local Historical Society (p. 4).

[6] In July 2022, a tunnel was found by accident in the Corballis area of Donabate, on land subject to a planning application later granted in November 2022,[7] when a farmer turned a stone on his field.

[14] St Patrick's GAA (Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, Naomh Pádraig) club in Donabate dates from 1924.

[citation needed] Kayaking, sailing and wind surfing are popular water sports especially in the Broadmeadow estuary with access from Donabate and Malahide.

[citation needed] The use of jet skis and fast powerboats is restricted by law in the estuaries and beaches and regulated by permit.

[citation needed] However, the club had remained active and hoped to move to an all-weather pitch on the site of the Secondary School scheduled for September 2010.

It sits on 370 acres (150 ha) of eighteenth-century landscaped parklands with perimeter woodland belts and fine vistas across lawns and wildflower meadows.

[24] The park is a popular recreational area all year round, and also contains playing pitches used by local sports clubs.

A wide range of farm animals and fowl are now housed here, including many rare or show breeds, and it is a popular visitor attraction.

[27] In 2008 Fingal County Council published an ambitious plan to develop a large wildlife park and natural amenity that would span both sides of the Rogerstown Estuary.

[29]The plan includes: bridges over the estuary; pedestrian links with Newbridge and the village; parking facilities; allotments; look-out towers; a new park on the old baleally landfill on the north side of the estuary; picnic areas; and 8 kilometres (5 miles) of woodland and grassland trails.

BirdWatch Ireland owns land on both the north and south shores of the inner estuary and played a large role in preserving the area in its natural state in spite of its proximity to large urban areas by purchasing tracts of land and entering into management agreements with the Council and landowners.

[30] The Fingal Branch of BirdWatch Ireland operates two hides in Rogerstown which are wardened at weekends during certain times of the year.

The Transport 21 infrastructure plan envisaged electrification north of Malahide and through Donabate as far as Balbriggan by 2015, though this was subsequently indefinitely deferred.

On 21 August 2009 the 18:07 train from Balbriggan to Connolly was passing over the viaduct when the driver noticed subsidence and the embankment giving way on the northbound track.

[32] This was later determined to be caused by scour[33] A major catastrophe was avoided but commuters faced significant subsequent disruption.