‘We are reaching out to let them know they are welcome and part of our society’

Shamrock Rovers have struck up a sponsorship agreement with the Clondalkin Towers Direct Provision Centre to bring residents to home games at Tallaght Stadium. Ciarán Kennedy boarded the bus with the newest fans of domestic football and got a taste of their restricted experience of Irish life.

Joshua’s favourite footballer is Lionel Messi. Rex likes Cristiano Ronaldo. This announcement sparks the other boys into life.

Within seconds, jumpers and jackets are whipped off and biceps are being flexed as the four lads debate which of them is most like Juventus’ bronzed superstar.

They were far shier at the Clondalkin Towers Direct Provision Centre earlier, but put them together at the back of a minibus and they quickly kick into life.

Ethan stresses he has two favourite footballers, Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Jack Byrne of Shamrock Rovers, who we are currently on our way to go watch. Since Rovers teamed up with the Clondalkin Towers, Friday nights have become something to look forward to all week.

The club have been bringing a group from the Towers to all of their home league games this year, and the travelling party has steadily grown. For tonight’s Dublin derby against Bohemians there are 22 on the bus, some making their maiden voyage to Tallaght Stadium, others in double digits.

We’ll get to some of those later, but at the moment it’s clear the four boys are only warming up.

Ethan is 11, and keen to talk about his own budding sporting career. He plays as a central defensive midfielder for Clondalkin Celtic and is nursing a sprained finger from a recent hurling match with his school.

Rex and David are both nine. Joshua, by far the smallest of the four, insists he is 10 while elbowing his giggling buddies in the ribs.

None of the boys’ parents are on the trip, so Eve keeps a watchful eye from the row in front, intervening for the occasional seatbelt check. Rex is particularly fond of just stuffing the belt under his armpit.

Eve came to Ireland in January and has been at Clondalkin Towers for four months.

She grew up in South Africa and can’t remember how young she was when she left Zimbabwe. After a couple of months of uncertainty, she is hoping to get her life back on track.

“I was studying nursing in South Africa, and I’ve been accepted at Inchicore College,” she says.

“I’m going all the way with my nursing, I love it. I can get along with different people (pointing towards the boys).

"I can understand when they are frustrated, or being naughty and all that. I can find a way to talk to them and make them understand me in a nice way.”

The trips are organised by Hicham Lamchaali. Born and raised in Morocco, Hicham studied IT and worked as a chef before coming to Ireland, and has been living in direct provision for two years.

Ireland has provided varying degrees of freedom.

The small rainbow bracelet on his wrist would easily go unnoticed, but carries extra significance when you come from a country where homosexuality is illegal, and can make one feel unsafe.

“I’m grateful,” says Hicham.

“There are a lot of people in this country who do not have a roof over their head.”

He’ll be up early tomorrow for his usual 5km with the local running club. Heorganised Clondalkin’s St Patrick’s Day parade earlier this year, and ran for local election. He also plays football for LGBT side Dublin Devils, and produces a photo of himself with John Delaney at an FAI event.

Hicham stresses the importance of these matches as an opportunity for the kids to integrate with Irish society. Life in the Towers can besheltered. Kids can’t bring school friends over. There is a play centre, but no grass.

Formerly a hotel, the centre sits on the edge of a half-deserted industrial estate. The sight of at least 30 buggies packed under the mainstaircase provides an immediate indication of the cramped conditions.

There are over 200 residents, many of whom have been moved around the various centres, including Balseskin in North Dublin, and Mosney, Co Meath, which has 800 residents. Families get one room to themselves, while single adults share with up to three others, often from different cultures, which can create its own tensions.

There is a small rec room to the right of the lobby and a kitchen to the left, where dinner is served between 5-6.30pm.

Residents do not have facilities to cook, and many are ineligible to work until receiving their papers, a process which can take years. Most are frustrated by the limitations of life here.

On our way to Tallaght, Sultam introduces me to his two sets of twins.

Roola, 8, is clearly taken with her new Rovers scarf. Dieb, 11, tells me he likes Barcelona, but Sultam explains he only knows their name through school friends. Dieb’s twin brother, Adeeb, and Mohammed have been to a few games now, and consider themselves fully fledged Rovers fans.

“They don’t know about football (before coming to Ireland),” Sultam explains. “There is no proper team where we come from. They bombed the stadium. There is no ground to play. The kids can play here now in the park.”

They have been at Clondalkin Towers for nine months, having fled Palastine via Lebanon. Their mother is yet to join them.

“It is safe (here). I can’t say more than safe. Hopefully they will have a better future.”

The association with Rovers came via Matthew Kenny, a solicitor and lifelong fan. After bringing his football-mad son to an Ireland v England U17s game last year, Kenny was struck by the high number of first generation Irish in the team.

“I got my love for football because my dad brought me, like his dad brought him, and there are families in direct provision living in hotel rooms, regardless of anyone’s political view on the rightness or wrongness of that procedure, and (I thought) Rovers could do something for them, and give those kids the exact same chance I had to go and watch live domestic Irish football,” he says.

Those living in direct provision receive a weekly allowance of just €38.80 per week, having risen from €21.60 in March. Tickets for football matches are simply not on the radar.

“Rather than just be glad when somebody becomes Irish and is good enough to play football, what are we actually doing to reach out to people in direct provision and let them know that they are welcome and are part of our society?” Kenny adds.

He approached the club and some business associates, and a sponsorship was agreed. Kenny would love to see other teams, across all codes, follow suit.

On the night, Rovers win a decent game 1-0 thanks to a well-worked goal from Graham Burke.

Scarves are waved, songs are sung and a hot chocolate gets spilt amid the celebrations. The sight of President Michael D Higgins sparks excitement among adults and kids alike.

Moments later, former Republic of Ireland international Richard Dunne strolls by unnoticed.

Shortly after the full-time whistle we are back on the bus, and the four boys quickly have me keeping count on a pull-ups competition before the short journey back to the Towers.

When we arrive home, it’s high fives, fist bumps, and a promise that their biceps will have taken on more definition by the next time I visit.

I wouldn’t doubt them for a second.