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Michael Darragh MacAuley offers an insight into the benefits of sport for underprivileged children

Michael Darragh MacCauley joined Tuesday's OTB AM and offered a rare insight into the benefits th...



Michael Darragh MacAuley offer...
Videos

Michael Darragh MacAuley offers an insight into the benefits of sport for underprivileged children

Michael Darragh MacCauley joined Tuesday's OTB AM and offered a rare insight into the benefits that sport can have for underprivileged children.

The Dublin star is currently involved with a social and economic regeneration project in Dublin, telling Ger: "I didn't know about it before I was asked to get involved with it but there's a North-East Inner-City initiative and it's a social and economic regeneration of the area - there's a huge amount of work going into the area. 

"It's from the back of the IFSC from North Wall over to Five Lamps, Ballybough, Sean MacDermott Street/Sherrif Street so it's a section that they've really looked at to target which has had a bad reputation over the years.

"It all stemmed from the Mulvey Report in 2016 - it was a really extensive look at the area - why is it problematic? What's going on here? And, on the back of that, there was 54 recommendations of how we can make this better.

"Then there was a big task force set up to target the area and I've come in under the sports engagement area and trying to head up a bit of that - there's a huge amount of work getting done in the area - a huge amount of people volunteering their time and money and resources getting pumped into the area...when they approached me on this - it made sense. 

"They've given me an open slate with it and basically anyway that I can increase activity in the area so working with the kids - I've met all the principals there last week or whether it's working with migrants in the area or addicts or anyone. So, I've a pretty open brief on it and they've been willing to back me on whatever I see fit then. 

"You just want to give people that branch to cling onto. It is easy to go down a bad path down there. There's a lot of people coming from backgrounds - sometimes some of the kids I'm talking to seem so happy and someone tells me their background and it's crazy stuff going on: Their parents aren't around, prison, all different bits and pieces - so you just want to give them something to cling on to.

"I use Kellie Harrington as a simple solution for someone who was going down a bad path when she was 15/16 and someone just said 'Here, will you have a go at this boxing thing?' and she's gone on to be a world champion in the last few weeks. 

"Not everyone has to be a world champion - it's just about giving someone a vehicle, a reason to say 'No, I actually don't want to hang around with you today - I want to do that. I have this sport.'"

Listen back to Tuesday's OTB AM Podcast here: 

Michael Darragh MacAuley offers an insight into the benefits of sport for underprivileged children

00:00:00 / 00:00:00

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