30/10/2026
⚽️🏆 BREAKING BARRIERS TOURNAMENT 2026 🏆⚽️
More wonderful memories from an amazing day! 💙⭐️
Here are some more lovely photos from DEPS Breaking Barriers Tournament 2026!
Firstly, we would like to say a massive congratulations and thank you to DEPS (Drug Education Prevention and Supports) for putting together such a fantastic event.
We have quite a few people to thank, so please bear with us! 🤣👏
🌟 A Special Thank You to Our Amazing DEPS Team
We would like to give a very special mention to Jac and Niamh, who were absolutely brilliant on the day, looking after fixtures, scores and helping everything run smoothly. The tournament simply wouldn't have been possible without the hard work and dedication of these two fantastic youth workers.
A huge thank you also goes to Sarah, our DEPS Team Lead, who was outstanding both in the lead-up to the tournament and throughout the day. From helping organise the event to ensuring that drug education and awareness remained an important part of the occasion, her contribution was invaluable.
It was especially encouraging to see so many of our young people coming away from the day with greater knowledge, understanding and awareness of such an important subject.
On a personal note, I (Mallard) feel genuinely lucky and proud to work alongside such an amazing team. To call Jac and Niamh my colleagues and Sarah my team lead is a real privilege. They are a credit to youth work, and I have nothing but admiration for the work they do. 💙
👏 Thank You to Our Partners and Youth Services
A special mention to Stacey from Limerick Youth Service and Marion from Treaty United, who both played important roles in organising and preparing for the tournament.
We would also like to extend a massive thank you to all the wonderful youth services and groups who came together to make this event such a success:
⚽ Southill Hub
⚽ Ballynanty Family Resource Centre (FRC)
⚽ Ross, Ger and the entire team from St Mary's Park Youth Service
⚽ Ballynanty Youth Diversion Project
⚽ Cappamore
⚽ DEPS Teams One and Two
It was an absolute pleasure having you all involved. Your enthusiasm, support and commitment to the young people you work with are what make events like this so special.
Thank you all for being part of it! 👏
👮 A Special Thank You to An Garda Síochána
A massive thank you to the Gardaí, who continue to make this tournament such a special occasion each year.
The positive relationships, encouragement and bonds built between the Gardaí and our young people are a huge part of what Breaking Barriers is all about.
Your involvement means so much, and we genuinely appreciate the time and effort you put into making every young person feel included and valued.
🏟️ Thank You to Our Wonderful Supporters
A huge thank you to Rob, Samanta and the entire team at the Southill Factory for always making us feel so welcome and for continuing to make their fantastic facilities available to us. Your kindness and generosity never go unnoticed.
Another big thank you to Treaty United and Limerick Sports Partnership for all their help, encouragement and support throughout the tournament.
📸 A special mention to Viviana, our photographer on the day, for capturing so many fantastic moments and memories. The pictures really speak for themselves!
We would also like to give a heartfelt thank you to Amanda from Limerick Youth Service, who does so much important work behind the scenes. Your continued support, not just for this tournament but throughout the year, is sincerely appreciated.
A massive thank you to the entire Breaking Barriers Organising Committee for the dedication, planning and hard work that goes into making these events possible.
And, of course, a special thank you to Limerick Youth Service for continuing to believe in, encourage and support this project. Your backing has been invaluable in helping Breaking Barriers grow into something we can all be proud of.
💙 And Most Importantly, Our Amazing Young People!
We have saved one of our biggest thank-yous for last.
To every single young person who took part, supported their teammates, represented their communities and helped create such a positive atmosphere — THANK YOU! 👏⭐️
Seeing young people from different parts of Limerick City coming together, making new friendships, building confidence, showing respect and simply enjoying themselves is what makes all the hard work worthwhile.
You are the reason we do what we do.
You give us the motivation, encouragement and determination to keep creating opportunities and experiences like this.
We are truly blessed to have so many incredible young people in our city, and you should all be extremely proud of yourselves. 💙
⚽ What's Next for Breaking Barriers?
This is certainly not the end!
We will be back again soon with another tournament, and we are already looking forward to our All-Girls Breaking Barriers Tournament after Christmas! 👧⚽️
We cannot wait to welcome the girls back for another fantastic event, giving them the opportunity to enjoy the game they love in a safe, positive, supportive and encouraging environment.
Our hope is to see Breaking Barriers continue to grow, develop and reach even more young people across our communities.
Because at the end of the day, Breaking Barriers is about so much more than football. It's about bringing communities together, building friendships, breaking down barriers, raising awareness and creating opportunities for our young people to thrive.
To everyone who played a part, no matter how big or small, please know that your contribution is appreciated.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for making this another unforgettable event.
Until the next one! 💯⚽️⭐️
Sincerely,
Mallard
Event Organiser – Breaking Barriers Tournament 2026
💙⚽️🏆
