Active South Dublin is part of South Dublin County Council. Our ambition is to help people get more active. Whether its exercise and fitness, volunteering, and coaching, playing team sports, walking, dancing and cycling our aim is to support and develop activity in South Dublin County by bringing together partners across the community, voluntary and statutory sectors with residents, clubs, schools, leisure facility providers and others to develop a locally led approach to improving participation in physical activity, recreation and sport.
Our Sports Disability Officer provides information and advice to local clubs, organises sporting activities including horse riding and climbing that make an enormous impact on the lives of children and their families.
Some of the programs that we run for people with a disability are horse riding with Fettercairns Youth Horse Project, Learn2cycle, Climbing For All in partnership with Enable Ireland. We support club with project such as the installation of new pool pods. These projects help people with disabilities to learn a lifelong skill and engage with peers all across South Dublin.
Testimonials from programme participants
Learn2cycle Programme:
"A big thank you to South Dublin County Council for running the Learn2cycle programme. My daughters have dyspraxia and have struggled to learn how to cycle a bike. Following this course, they are both far more confident and have made great progress. The instructor has been extremely patient and helpful, we really appreciate being involved with this amazing initiative. Thanks to all involved."
Climbing for All:
"The encouragement from other parents, kids, and staff was amazing! Staff were brilliant pushing kids enough to challenge themselves but not too far to upset them. It helped me gain strength through climbing and learning how to climb with the rope harness."
Inclusive Horse Riding:
"Caoimhe can avoid activities she's nervous of and usually is apprehansive of all animals. She can be a little anxious before the horseriding lesson but once she gets on the horse she completely relaxes and Lynn and the young people there have been amazing in supporting all the young people through the lesson. I know she is safe, loves the lesson and there is not many activities where she gets over her anxiety and goes ahead but with horseriding she does and for me that means everything."
Fettercairn Youth Horse Project
Equine Assisted Learning
The Fettercairn Horse Project offers children opportunities to engage with horses. The experience can have a profoundly positive impact on children with autism and the connection with horses is also culturally very important to our traveller population.
The Fettercairn Youth Horse Project provides Equine Assisted Learning and Equine Therapy. Their therapeutic Programme is designed for groups with physical, sensory and / or intellectual disabilities and autistic children.
Although numbers in each program are relatively low compared to other sports the impact on children’s lives can be enormous.
Horse riding builds core strength, improves posture, and enhances flexibility in children with physical disabilities. For those with cerebral palsy, it reduces muscle spasticity. For children with autism, riding offers sensory input, fosters social skills, and helps regulate emotions.
Children love being in the stables and around the horses. A notable impact on many children is the calming effect of horses. Contact with horses can help children with autism regulate their emotions and manage anxiety. This can have a very positive impact on children and their families for an extended time period.
For more information on the horse project click here and to view research carried out by Dr Caren Hessionout in Fettercairn please click here.
Tallaght stadium
Since 2008, South Dublin County Council has been a member of the European Observatory: Cities and Town for All. The European Observatory is a forum, which was created out of the Barcelona Declaration, to encourage and support cities and towns to share best practice in accessibility.
The extensive access works and initiatives which we have undertaken over the past 13 years, in particular, have all been focused on removing the barriers that create disability and exclusion and creating a truly Accessible South Dublin County.
Click here for more information Accessibility - Tallaght Stadium
Pétanque Courts
ACTIVE Cities in partnership with South Dublin County Sports Partnership and South Dublin County Council, launched South Dublin County’s first public Pétanque Court in Griffeen Valley Park in 2023.
The new Pétanque Court offers adults and children, of all abilities, a wonderful new openair facility in their community.
Pétanque can be played by anybody, local social clubs, disability groups, active retirement, school goers, Men’s shedders, grandads, and youngsters. All are welcome.