Introduction: Sport has increasingly been recognised as a tool to foster social cohesion, especially within marginalised and diverse communities. At the same time, this potential has often been undermined by short-term, under-resourced programmes that shift responsibility for social change onto already vulnerable groups, rather than providing sustainable, structural support. In particular, the realities and needs of communities and community organisations have often been neglected, leading to mismatches between programmes or support offered by municipalities and the actual needs on the ground.
Against this background, this study presents a needs analysis conducted in Dublin, Ireland, investigating how sport can be used to foster social cohesion within two of the city’s disadvantaged areas. It focuses on how stakeholders perceive social cohesion in their communities, what role they believe sport can play in supporting it, and what needs exist to strengthen cohesion through sport.
Method: This study relies on a mix of qualitative methods, including interviews, qualitative survey responses, and fieldwork observations. Reflexive Thematic Analysis is used to develop themes aligned with the research goals.
Results: Social cohesion is often limited by an “us-versus-them” dynamic that pits minorities against the majority white Irish population. In this context, sport is seen as an accessible tool that can bring groups together and promote understanding. However, sport programmes are constrained by a lack of coordination with the municipality and across service providers, particularly regarding facility access and pathways for talented youth.
Conclusions: While the potential of sport and the need for greater coordination and resources are widely recognised, stakeholders emphasise that tensions between groups—and the media narratives that exacerbate them—remain a significant challenge. Importantly, this “us-versus-them” dynamic not only fuels division but also distracts from interrogating deeper systemic issues, including the unequal distribution of wealth and access to services.
