Dublin Port Company, Shamrock Rovers Supporters Club and Local Community Score for Charities.

Dublin Port Company and the Ringsend Shamrock Rovers Supporters Club held a fundraising day of football events at Irishtown Stadium on a day of lightning, thunder, rain and lots of goodwill on the August bank holiday.

Over sixty children from East Wall, Sheriff Street, Ringsend, Pearse Street and the surrounding areas battled it out for World Cup victory as they participated in the five-a-side Mini World Cup game. The children participating in the competition were busy over the past few weeks raising money for the event, seeking sponsorship from family, friends, local residents and businesses.

Following the Mini World Cup, it was time for the ‘professionals’ versus the ‘amateurs’ game, as the Shamrock Rovers Select 11 team played a selection of players from Ringsend and Pearse Street football teams. The score was an inevitable 6-1 for Shamrock Rovers but the sporting Ringsend/ Pearse Street 11 team were magnanimous in defeat.

The fundraising event was in aid of both Crumlin Children’s Hospital and the Indonesian tsunami support project. Following the Asian tsunami disaster in 2004, Dublin Port Company together with the local Dublin Port community, raised over €225,000 for the reconstruction of an elementary school in the port town of Lampoh Daya, Banda Aceh, Indonesia, one of the worst affected areas of the tsunami disaster. Funds raised from this day of sport go towards the maintenance of the Indonesian school and the fund for the building of a health centre and community centre beside the school.

Charlie Murphy, Community Liaison Officer of Dublin Port Company said, “Dublin Port Company has a long history of working hand in hand with the local community, whether developing projects at a local level or supporting other port communities. There is a great sense of community in the area and a great sense of active citizenship, with the local community keen to support important fundraising initiatives.”

Further information on the project can be found on Dublin Port Company’s website www.dublinport.ie

Top: The winners. Below: The runners-up.