Dublin GAA & Variety Ireland All-Stars County Féile

There were smiles all round recently as Variety Ireland teamed up with Dublin GAA to hold our very first All-Stars County Féile at Whitehall Colmcille GAA Club, Whitehall Dublin 9.

This was the first gathering of over 30 GAA clubs in Dublin who came together at Whitehall Colmcille GAA Club, Whitehall Dublin 9 for an afternoon of sport, fun and inclusion.

Children and family members from local Dublin GAA clubs across Dublin who cater for children with additional needs got the chance to meet up and enjoy an afternoon of sports while ensuring that children unable to participate in on field sport also had a chance to participate in off field activities.

The children will be joined by past and current leading members of Dublin GAA men and ladies football, camogie and hurling teams who interacted with young members of All Star teams from across Dublin.

Variety Ireland, who are responsible for organising the “All-Stars County Féile” with the support of Dublin GAA, are eager to ensure that children with additional needs are represented in the world of GAA Sport.

Adding to the excitement, the Brendan Martin Cup — the prestigious trophy awarded to the All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Champions —was on show display with fans having the opportunity to meet Dublin LGFA All-Ireland winning stars Hannah Leahy and Jess Tobin, who were there to celebrate with families and inspire the next generation of players.

The celebrations will also feature appearances from Whitehall Colmcille legends and Dublin GAA stars Cormac Costello, Lee Gannon, Eoghan O’Donnell, and Daire Gray, who were on hand to meet the young players, present medals, and support the club’s newest team.

Whitehall and Dublin camogie star Éile O’Ceallaigh also joined the festivities, proudly bringing along her All-Ireland U23 winning cup, adding yet another highlight to an already unforgettable day.

Let’s not forget Molly Malone, the famous Dublin fan and local legend, who turned up  joining the celebrations too. She arrived in style with a Dublin van and the Sam Maguire Cup, bringing even more Dublin GAA magic to the event.

Owen Mooney who is Learning & Games Development Co-ordinator at Dublin GAA commented “We’re absolutely delighted to be part of something truly special here today. Today is all about inclusion, fun, and the spirit of Gaelic games — bringing together children and adults with additional needs for an afternoon of sport, friendship, and community.

Inclusive sport is a cornerstone of what we believe in at Dublin GAA. Events like this help us achieve our mission – to make Gaelic games accessible and enjoyable for every child, regardless of ability. We’re especially proud to partner with Variety Ireland, a children’s charity that has been doing remarkable work supporting families and individuals with additional needs across the island of Ireland. It’s amazing to see so many Dublin GAA clubs, parents, siblings, and players coming together under one banner — celebrating sport, inclusion, and equality. It’s all about happy faces, shared moments, and the belief that equality and inclusion aren’t just ideas — they’re at the heart of everything we do. Variety Ireland and Dublin GAA share the same values — promoting inclusion, opportunity, and community through sport. We’re really looking forward to continuing our partnership with Variety Ireland as we bring the All-Star Féile for All to even more communities across Dublin in the coming months”.

Spokesperson for Variety – the Children’s Charity Ireland, Kevin O’Brien, said “For nearly 75 year’s, our charity continues to help families with children that have additional needs from across the disability spectrum on the island of Ireland. With the support of the HSE and various government departments, we help children in the areas of mobility , education and well-being.

Everyone knows the benefits and impact that sports activities can have for children with additional needs. This is why we brought together so many GAA Clubs across Dublin for the first time today who have teams that support children with additional needs. It ensures inclusion for these wonderful children and we ensured there was a host of activities for those members who cannot physically take part in field games. Our first “All-Stars Dublin County Féile” ensured that all children regardless of their ability had access to an afternoon of afternoon of fun, games and craic.

We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the Dublin GAA and the fabulous staff at Whitehall Colmcille GAA Club to bring for the first time ever, over 30 local GAA Special Needs teams from clubs across Dublin. The sense of joy, inclusion and fun was  immense and as a charity that caters for children from across the disability spectrum, we are delighted to run this this pilot programme with Dublin GAA.

It was great to see past and current players of the Dublin GAA Sporting community, mingle and interact for an afternoon of fun with children and families. This pilot programme was designed to connect these clubs, share their experiences, and celebrate every child’s ability to take part and have fun. This Féile is just the beginning of something very special which we hope to roll out across Dublin other counties in Ireland from 2026”.

Watch out for our next Christmas All-Stars County Féile 2025, which will again bring even more Dublin GAA Clubs with children with additional needs together coming really soon. There is even talk that a special visitor from the North Pole will make a special appearance (fingers crossed!!).