Sporting Liberties was founded as a unified umbrella campaign for Dublin 8’s grassroots sports clubs—rugby, football, GAA, boxing—driven by a stark reality: over 8,500 children in the area lacked access to a proper playing pitch or recreational facility. Our goal: bring full-sized, multi‑sport pitches to the community.

2014–2017:

Camouflaged frustrations bore fruit in 2015 when the group identified a promising site behind St Catherine’s Sports Centre on Marrowbone Lane for redevelopment into a pitch. But attempts to integrate sports facilities into redevelopment plans for St Teresa’s Gardens stalled, especially amid arguments over displacement of social housing residents—a contentious issue by 2017.

2018–2022:

Persistent activism peaked in October 2022, when Sporting Liberties joined forces with local clubs for a high-profile protest outside Dublin City Council, demanding immediate creation of green space and sports facilities at Marrowbone Lane depot site.
The campaign also briefed national politicians and media, highlighting the broader social value of accessible team sports in preventing youth disengagement and encouraging community belonging.

2023-present:

The plight of Liberty Saints RFC, the only IRFU‑affiliated club without a home pitch, became a potent symbol of the crisis. Training small squads in a postage‑stamp green patch surrounded by brick walls, Liberty Saints became the face of Sporting Liberties’ messaging.
New hope arose with the appointment of a new CEO at Dublin City Council, who committed in writing to begin designing a FIFA‑accredited pitch on the Marrowbone Lane site using a consultant in the coming weeks.