Final Late Night Soccer League event of the season takes place in Dundalk

The final Late Night Soccer League event of the season took place last Thursday at the Dundalk FC Community Centre at Oriel Park, organised as part of the Garda National Youth Diversion Programme in Louth.

Over 30 teenagers from Dundalk took part in soccer games with members of Dundalk Gardaí in what was the latest in a series of matches that allow young people to interact with Gardaí away from law enforcement.

Garda Paul Burke, Juvenile Liaison Officer, (JLO) has been the driving force of the Late Night League which is now in its 14th year and is proving more popular than ever. Gda Burke said the games were the last ones played in a six-week run and over 40 young people, aged between 12 and 18, had taken part.

He said: “On average, we had 20 or more each week over the series and the pitches were full. We had upwards of 35 on our final night here in the YDC at Oriel Park. We hope to do it again in June as we have been running these leagues twice a year for the last 14 years.

Read next: Louth stars to be honoured at civic reception this week

“I want to thank the youth projects and the workers in those projects who make it possible. I want to say a big thanks to the project workers at the TEAM Project Muirhevnamor, the High Voltage Project at The House in Cox’s Demesne and Youthwork Ireland Louth based at Craobh Rua. Without them, we would not have this league at all.”

There was praise also for Dundalk FC owner John Temple who provided the facilities at the club’s community centre and also sponsored the pizzas after the final game of the Late Night League season and for Dundalk FC’s Liam Burns as well as the FAI’s Mick Neville.

Sgt Niall O’Reilly from the Garda National Youth Diversion Programme also made the trip to Oriel Park for the final night.
He said: “It is great to see what soccer can do for the young people who take part. It gives them an avenue for positive interactions and it is really good to see what Gda Burke has done, and continues to do, in the town.

“Dundalk has great facilities for this type of project which focuses on bettering interaction between Gardaí and those who are in the youth projects in the area. There is also great buy-in from the projects in Dundalk which is essential to the success we see here. Late Night Leagues like this helps to keep young people out of trouble, fosters those better relationships and is extremely positive.”