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 all of our programmes. From 5 – 25 year olds, from tag-rugby to boxing, we use sport as a tool to build confidence and expand horizons. This year this has ranged from weekly sports sessions with our After Schools to run clubs with our young women, from flag football in Oberstown detention centre to our Fighting for Change boxing programme with our older young people.

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

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 universities and Leinster Rugby, 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:

"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 at St. Patricks Athletic home ground.

The lack of facilities has forced us to be creative with our sports programmes, focusing on those that don’t need pitches such as running and boxing. However, it is not good enough that our young people are restricted by the lack of facilities when young people, in other parts of the city, and across the country, have access to ample sporting facilities on their doorstep.

We will continue to advocate for better for the young people growing up in the SWIC, and are actively involved in the Sporting Liberties campaign for increased sports facilities.

Every young person deserves the chance to discover their talents, pursue their interests, and experience the benefits that sport can bring. Through both our programmes, and our advocacy work, 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