As we continue our series responding to Dr. Barra Roantree's report, “A Socioeconomic Analysis of Dublin’s South West Inner City”, the next area we want to focus on is sport and physical activity.

Several of the report's findings highlight the lack of opportunities available to young people in the South West Inner City (SWIC) due to limited access to sporting facilities. The report found that there are currently no public pitches within the Grand Canal and North Circular Road, with just two of Dublin City Council's 248 public pitches located in the SWIC. As a result, there are almost ten times more people per playing pitch in the area than the Dublin City average.

The report also highlighted that just 22 per cent of primary school students and 8 per cent of secondary school students in the SWIC are meeting national physical activity guidelines.

These statistics reinforce something we see regularly through our work: young people want opportunities to be active, develop new skills, and participate in sport, but too often face barriers in accessing facilities and organised activities.

That is why sport plays an important role across many of our programmes.

Through our Solas@School Sports Programme, we partner with local schools to deliver Tag Rugby sessions that encourage teamwork, confidence, and physical activity. The programme culminates each year in our Tag Rugby Blitz, bringing together students, volunteers, corporate partners, and local schools for a day of sport and community. Thanks to the support of local colleges, young people are also given the opportunity to experience playing on high-quality sports facilities that may not otherwise be accessible to them.

This year, we also introduced a new American Flag Football Programme for young people in the community, as well as participants in our Compass Prison Programme. With the support of NFL UK & Ireland, who provided training and equipment, young people were given the opportunity to try a new sport, develop new skills, and build confidence through participation. As one participant shared:

Detached youth work team enjoying a friendly game with young people in a local park, 2026

"Flag football is a really fun new sport that everyone can play. I am really enjoying it!"

More recently, our detached youth work teams have added portable American football training equipment to their outreach resources, allowing them to bring even more sporting opportunities directly to young people where they are.

Alongside these initiatives, football remains a popular activity across many of our programmes, from informal games in the community and our prison programmes to organised events such as the Liam Hicks Memorial Cup in the Oliver Bond Flats and our semi-annual Youth Workers vs. Young People matches.

While we continue to be creative in making the most of the facilities and resources available to us, we also continue to advocate for greater investment in sporting infrastructure and opportunities for young people in the South West Inner City.

Every young person deserves the chance to discover their talents, pursue their interests, and experience the benefits that sport can bring. Through our programmes, we are working to ensure that more young people have the opportunity to do just that.

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Creating Space for Sport in the SWIC