The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has announced details of a soccer blitz aimed at getting youngsters from Dublin’s Travelling community more involved in the sport.
The initiative began in 2006 when the FAI’s Sharon Boyle initiated contact with members of the Travelling community with a view to establishing weekly futsal sessions involving young Travellers.
“We connected with them last year, and from there started running tournaments, over the summer months in particular, when they were off school,” says Boyle.
The futsal sessions have since become a weekly event. Boyle points out: “We play every Wednesday from 2–3pm in the Darndale Village Centre. Although they’re only one-hour futsal sessions played out on a tarmac surface, they really mean a lot to the kids.”
She continues: “There is always great banter between the players at the weekly sessions, it’s always really good humoured. If someone falls, their opponents would be the first to pick them up. Everyone who comes along has a great laugh.”
Despite the success of the initiative, Boyle admits there is one area in which she would like to see the project develop: “We only have boys playing so far; it’s really difficult to get the girls involved.”
The hugely positive impact the futsal sessions have had among the youngsters meant the decision to organise a larger tournament was an obvious one. “We’re expecting five or six teams of Traveller kids and maybe another one or two from a school in Ranelagh,” says Boyle of the upcoming event.
The tournament is set to take place on 11 October at the Glinroad Sports Centre in Coolock, north Dublin.
