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SportUile programme for Drogheda/East Meath officially launched

The new SportUile premises was launched at the Lourdes Stadium
The new SportUile premises was launched at the Lourdes Stadium

A new sports programme aimed at strengthening the communities of Drogheda and East Meath has been officially launched.

SportUile will focus on developing local leadership through sport, engaging with at-risk youth, and supporting women and girl's participation in sport.

The initiative was set up as a direct response to a major report on community safety and development in the area in recent years, following a deadly drug feud which resulted in violence, fear and intimidation in the town.

SportUile is a cross-county endeavour between Louth and Meath Local Sports partnerships and is supported by the Drogheda Implementation Board, which was set up in October 2021 to implement the report's recommendations.

The 5-year project has secured multi-annual funding of €200,000 from Sport Ireland as well as €60,000 per year from Louth and Meath County Councils.

Programme Manager Paddy O'Reilly said that SportUile had a simple goal.

"It's driving change through sport in Drogheda and East Meath. To try to reach hard to reach communities. Anybody who is marginalised, whether it's migrant communities, whether it's people who are disadvantaged, people with disabilities. So it's really a broad remit we're trying to hit," he said.

SportUile Programme Manager Paddy O'Reilly
SportUile Programme Manager Paddy O'Reilly

He said it would work with agencies already working on the ground, to compliment their work with sport and physical activity.

Mr O'Reilly said the first programmes being piloted are with existing school-completion projects in the area.

The former Chair of the Drogheda Implementation Board, which has now wound down it's work, said he believed the programme would make a "huge difference".

Michael Keogh said the Board had a number of actions to develop sporting facilities "with a view to decrease the level of criminal activity, guiding young people away from that type of behaviour and more towards sporting activities".

Mr Keogh said SportUile would make a huge difference in reaching people who are not involved in sports at the moment and added that continuous funding was important to be able to plan ahead.

Reflecting on the changes in Drogheda over the course of the board taking up its work in 2021 to date, Mr Keogh said it was successful and had attracted more than €20 million in investment to the town along with between 40-50 posts to support the provision of services in the area.

He said that Drogheda is now a "safer place" but that work must continue.

"I think it's a hugely growing area in terms of development. Its needs continuous funding. There's a campaign for city status. I think the Government really need to look at that. It's the biggest town in the country. I think the political side now need to follow up on that."

Superintendent Andrew Watters from Drogheda Garda station agreed that the sporting project would have a positive impact.

"I think this will have a huge impact in Drogheda and the surrounding areas. To allow people and enable young people and others, to give them the opportunity that everyone can participate in a sport that they like, and to have the facilities to support people who maybe don't get an equal opportunity to get involved in sports.

"The implementation board did fantastic work for the town of Drogheda. From a policing perspective, everyone is well aware of our feud that we had that ravaged this town and brought so much pain and grief on families. I think it was realised that An Garda Síochána couldn't solve all the issues in the town, and I think the implementation board really achieved so much.

"To see this coming to fruition today and the SportUile office, is really fantastic," he said.

SportUile launch, Drogheda East Meath
The new SportUile offices being opened at Lourdes Stadium

Minister for Sport Charlie McConalogue was in Drogheda today to officially launch the project and unveil the new SportUile office based at Lourdes Stadium.

Speaking at the event, Minister McConalogue said: "SportUile represents the best of what community collaboration can achieve. Through sport, we can build bridges, strengthen resilience, and create safe, positive spaces for people of all ages. I commend Meath and Louth LSPs for their shared vision in delivering this cross-county programme, which will make a real difference in Drogheda and East Meath."

Louise Burke, who is Sport Ireland's Director of Participation said that the body was "excited to be in a position to support and commit to supporting a project like this".

She said that SportUile would create significant change and that Sport Ireland is "really hopeful for this, as a pilot across the country, that we can look at and learn from what happens here in Drogheda. I really do think this is a fantastic opportunity to grow and continue to make that impact".

SportUile's new programmes will be launched in the coming weeks.