Groundbreaking new GAA All-Star Children's Inclusion Campus launched at Whitehall Colmcille by Variety Ireland

Variety – the Children's Charity of Ireland has announced the official opening of Ireland’s very first GAA All-Star Children's Inclusion Campus at Whitehall Colmcille GAA Club.

This landmark facility is dedicated to ensuring that every child, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to participate, play, and belong.

Developed in partnership with the HSE, Dublin GAA and Whitehall Colmcille GAA Club and supported by The Department of Children, Disability & Equality and The Department of Transport, this new campus represents a significant investment in inclusive sport and recreation for thousands of children with additional needs across Dublin & County. Designed specifically to support children of all abilities, the campus will become a weekly hub where children from every Dublin GAA All-Star Club can come together to enjoy games, friendship, physical activity, and community in a welcoming and fully accessible environment.

At the heart of the campus is a purpose-built cycling track featuring an extensive fleet of specially adapted disability bicycles, enabling children with a wide range of physical abilities to experience the freedom, confidence, and joy that cycling brings. The inclusive cycling programme will provide opportunities for children who may never have had access to adapted bicycles, encouraging physical activity while building independence and self-esteem.

The campus also features a dedicated sensory room, carefully designed to provide a calming and supportive space for children who may benefit from sensory regulation. Alongside this, their activity hall will host weekly session filled with fun games, movement, skills development, and social interaction, ensuring that every child can participate in activities suited to their individual needs.

The new facility will welcome children from all Dublin GAA All-Star Clubs each week, strengthening connections between clubs while promoting inclusion through the shared values of Gaelic Games. The programme reflects the belief that sport has the power to unite communities and that every child deserves the opportunity to experience the excitement, teamwork, and friendships that participation brings.

The opening marks another important milestone in Variety Ireland's ongoing mission to improve the lives of children with disabilities and additional needs through practical projects

that create lasting opportunities. By removing barriers to participation and providing accessible facilities, the charity continues to demonstrate its commitment to building more inclusive communities across Ireland.

Working closely with the HSE and Dublin GAA, the campus will provide a sustainable programme that supports children and their families while encouraging volunteers, coaches, and local communities to embrace inclusive practices within Gaelic Games. The partnership reinforces the shared commitment of all supporting organisations to ensuring that inclusion becomes an integral part of every sporting community.

Kevin O’Brien from Variety Ireland said: "This Inclusion Campus is about creating opportunities for every child to enjoy sport, build friendships and feel part of their local community. Every child deserves to experience the joy of play and the confidence that comes from being included. We are incredibly proud to work alongside the HSE, Dublin GAA and Whitehall Colmcille GAA Club to create a facility that will make a lasting difference for children and families across Dublin. Our vision is to roll these out to other counties across Ireland in the near future to ensure children who are part of the GAA All-Star programme have equal access to fun, games and most importantly inclusion” The HSE and Variety Ireland work incredibly well together in supporting people with additional needs by providing, mobility equipment, sports inclusion and community programmes. This promotes independence, inclusion, wellbeing, and equal opportunities, helping children and adults reach their full potential while improving quality of life for individuals and families. Variety Ireland would also like to thank Aoife O’Donohue at the HSE, Minister Higgins and Minister O’Brien for their continued support and commitment in sharing the vision of Variety Ireland in supporting inclusivity for those with additional needs.

Learning & Games Development Coordinator from Dublin GAA, Owen Mooney welcomed the initiative as an important step in continuing to grow the GAA All-Star Programme, which has become one of the country's leading inclusive sporting initiatives. “By providing a permanent home where clubs can gather each week, the campus will help expand opportunities for participation while celebrating the diversity of the GAA family.”

Whitehall Colmcille GAA Club has also played a central role in bringing the vision to life, providing a home where inclusion, respect, and community spirit are at the centre of everything the club represents.

Club Secretary, Diarmuid Murphy of Whitehall Colmcille GAA Club commented, “We are proud to partner with Variety Ireland, the HSE, The Department of Children, The  Department and the Dublin GAA All Stars Programme in bringing this groundbreaking All-Star Children’s Inclusion Campus to life. As a club founded on the principles of community, participation and inclusion, we are committed to ensuring that every child, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to experience the benefits of sport, recreation, friendship and belonging. This landmark project will provide a welcoming, accessible and supportive environment at Whitehall Colmcille for children and families from across the GAA Community in Dublin and beyond. It will create opportunities for participation, development and connection for generations to come. Together, we are building a lasting legacy that reflects the very best values of the GAA and our community. This campus will stand as a powerful example of what can be achieved when organisations unite with a shared vision of inclusion, opportunity and support for every child. Ní neart go cur le chéile.

Ventures like Variety Ireland’s GAA All-Star Children's Inclusion Campus are all made possible through private and public partnerships by working with the HSE, The Department of Transport, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, who together support Variety – The Children’s Charity of Ireland by helping improve mobility and inclusion for children and adults with disabilities. Through funding, collaboration, and policy support, they enable programmes such as the Recycle Mobility Programme, which provides funding for new special mobility bikes, along with refurbished special mobility bikes which are redistributed to families and groups across the county, thus reducing costs and waste. They also contribute to the costs of supporting Inclusive Cycling Hubs and Mobile Crews, which provide accessible special mobility bikes which ensures cycling opportunities directly to communities across the county. Together, this partnership promotes independence, physical activity, social inclusion, and equal access to recreation, improving the quality of life for children, adults and families across Ireland.

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien said “I am delighted to attend this fantastic event today to mark the opening of the Children’s Inclusion Campus. The Department of Transport has been delighted to support Variety Ireland’s Recycle Mobility Programme in recent years and recognises the importance of equipping all children, regardless of ability, with the means to travel, participate and be active along with their families, friends and the wider community. Facilities such as this Campus here at Whitehall Colmcille GAA Club will provide a fantastic support to children of all abilities and I look forward to seeing this initiative rolled out to other clubs around the country as planned by Variety Ireland. I would like to commend Kevin and his team at Variety as well as Whitehall Colmcille and the GAA representatives, for their efforts to date in this regard.”

Minister with responsibility for Disability, Emer Higgins said: “I am delighted to be here today for the opening of the Variety Ireland GAA All-Star Children’s Inclusion Campus at Whitehall Colmcille GAA Club. This fantastic facility will give children of all abilities the chance to take part, make friends, build confidence and enjoy being active in their community. The adapted bicycles and cycling track will open up new opportunities for many children to experience the fun and freedom of cycling. I want to congratulate Variety Ireland, the HSE, Dublin GAA and Whitehall Colmcille on bringing this project to life. It is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when organisations work together to make inclusion a reality”

The Variety Ireland GAA All-Star Children's Inclusion Campus supported by the HSE, stands as a powerful example of what can be achieved when charities, sporting organisations, volunteers, and local communities work together with a shared purpose. It is far more than a facility—it is a place where children can discover new abilities, build confidence, make lifelong friendships, and enjoy the simple pleasure of playing together.

As the campus opens its doors, Variety Ireland looks forward to welcoming hundreds of children and families from across Dublin every week, ensuring that inclusion is not simply an aspiration but a lived experience for every participant.