Members of the Oireachtas played a football match against Mountjoy prisoners on Tuesday and a rematch is already on the cards.
The Mountjoy prisoners came out on top on a 9-5 scoreline against the cross-party team which included Green Party TD and Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, Pippa Hackett and Fine Gael TD and Minister of State for Public Health, Frank Feighan.
The match was organised by Independent Senator, Lynn Ruane and Labour Party TD and spokesman on Education, Enterprise and Trade, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin in conjunction with The Irish Prison Service and The Bohemian Foundation, an organisation intent on improving the health and well-being of its North County Dublin community. The Bohemian Foundation provided a kit for the teams.
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The match was played at Mountjoy Prison where several senators including Fianna Fail Senator, Niall Blaney, Fianna Fáil Senator, Lisa Chambers and Labour Party Senator, Marie Sherlock also participated. Aodhán Ó Ríordáin who scored what he describes as a “heavily deflected” goal spoke with the Irish Mirror about the match.
“I’m keen to have whatever sort of loose football team that we have in the Oireachtas to play matches and to learn, and to use football as a force for good. We’ve played previously against Young People at Risk and the Dublin Devils, the LGBT+ team,” he said.
Mr Ó'Ríordáin explained that they use the Oireachtas team to focus attention on certain issues and described it as an opportunity for politicians to learn. “Myself and Lynn Ruane contacted the Bohs foundation and the Governor. He couldn’t have been more helpful and enthusiastic about it,” he said.
There was a huge interest among Oireachtas members, according to Mr Ó'Ríordáin and the team was able to have someone from every political grouping and maintain gender balance.
“We learned a lot, and the prisoners themselves were looking forward to it. There was a good crowd there to watch the game. It was a really positive experience.” he said.
The game allowed for a post-match discussion with the Governor of Mountjoy Prison on the reality of prison life, the support needed and the governor's comments on the system in general.
In a statement to the Irish Mirror, the Governor of Mountjoy Prison, Eddie Mullins said: “Tuesday’s soccer match is another example of how sport can break down barriers, to have so many elected representatives from every political persuasion come to Mountjoy to play a game of soccer with prisoners was truly memorable. I am full of admiration for the politicians who really came out of their comfort zone to take part in this event.”
Mr Mullins said that they all found the experience very humbling and he hopes they left the prison with a greater understanding of the complexities and challenges of imprisonment and prison life. “I hope yesterday’s game was the beginning of many more similar events,” he said.
Mr Ó'Ríordáin said: “From that, the various Oireachtas members who were there are going to have a different relationship between each other. I think we have a common cause to better understand how the prison service works and how we can try to improve it because what we learned was that a lot of people in the system don’t need to be there, it’s not helping them and there are other avenues.”
Mr Ó'Ríordáin said that it’s important that inmates within the system can do something “positive and productive.”
The Oireachtas football team lineup also included Sinn Fein TD, Ruairí Ó Murchú, People Before Profit TD, Gino Kenny, Sinn Fein TD, Chris Andrews, Green Party representative Tate Donnelly and Sinn Fein TD, Pa Daly.
Minister Pippa Hackett said: “It was a really great experience to play against the team from Mountjoy Prison. There was a great atmosphere and comradery. There is word of a re-match in the coming months and I look forward to improving my own footwork before then.”
Goals were also scored by Minister Frank Feighan and Senator Marie Sherlock and Mr Ó'Ríordáin said there are already plans in place for a rematch in September, “we’re going to try and win back the cup,” he said.
He added that the reaction to the match says something about Irish politics, “in any other country if politicians played a match against prisoners, they would be criticized,” he said before adding that Irish people expect politicians to be compassionate.
“Having two ministers in the government playing a football match in Mountjoy prison is no small thing,” he said.
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