Kellie Harrington champions transformative power of sport at SportsFest launch

Olympic champion Kellie Harrington has launched Dublin City Council’s biggest-ever SportsFest, a milestone 10th-anniversary "mega event" that will includes in a free, family-friendly sports day at TU Dublin on September 26

News Stephen Holland Local Democracy Reporter 11:27, 20 Aug 2026 View 3 Images Lord Mayor Daryl Barron, Kellie Harrington, TU Dublin President Dr Deirdre Lillis, and school children at the launch SportsFest 2026 (Image: Conor McCabe Photography)

Olympic champion Kellie Harrington highlighted the transformative power of sports as she launched Dublin City Council’s biggest ever SportsFest.

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Harrington officially launched the annual SportsFest at the TU Dublin Grangegorman Sports Campus yesterday. Joined by Lord Mayor Daryl Barron and TU president Dr Deirdre Lillis, the launch marked 10 years of promoting sport, physical activity, and community wellbeing across the city.

To celebrate this milestone year, Dublin City Council 's Sports & Recreation Section, in partnership with the Central Area Office and TU Dublin, will host its first-ever free family sports day at the TU Dublin Grangegorman Sports Campus on Saturday, 26 September 2026, from 12pm to 5pm, as part of Dublin City Council SportsFest 2026.

The Portland Row native and Dublin City Council Sports Ambassador said that this “mega event” offers young people the chance to try lots of different activities in a way that could foster a lifelong love for sport. “A really good thing that I love about it is that you can come up here if you want to try a sport, say boxing, rugby, American football, and there’s a follow-on from it,” Harrington explained.

“They’ll tell you where to go and say, ‘Here’s a club you can join,’ and you can go and participate. That’s a really good part of it. And, it’s free, it’s completely free. Everyone should be coming up and availing of this free event put on by Dublin City Council on the 26th of September. It’s class.”

View 3 Images School children launch SportsFest 2026 at TU Dublin's Grangegorman Sports Campus (Image: Conor McCabe Photography)

Over the past decade, Dublin City Council SportsFest has grown from a series of local programmes into a citywide celebration of sport and recreation, providing opportunities for communities across Dublin to engage in physical activity and enjoy healthier lifestyles. This year's event is the largest to date, with TU Dublin providing access to its state-of-the-art sports facilities, enabling the Council to highlight its extensive network of sports facilities, parks, programmes, and community coaching initiatives in one location.

Visitors can look forward to a fun-filled day of free sporting activities, demonstrations, and family entertainment, with opportunities to try everything from NFL football, basketball, GAA, soccer, rugby, and athletics to rock climbing, boxing, parkour, ultimate frisbee and tug-of-war. There will also be dance workshops, fitness classes and yoga sessions, alongside dedicated neurodiverse activities, age-friendly sports, and free face painting. A Sensory Bus will also be on site, reflecting Dublin City Council's commitment to accessibility, inclusivity, and participation for all.

“Sport is very important for young people, for teenagers, for adults, growing up in Dublin, all over Ireland. It's great to be able to express yourself, to release some of that energy, whether it's a negative energy or a positive energy, to get out there and to have a burst out,” Harrington said.

Harrington has been a vocal proponent of the importance of sports facilities across Dublin and campaigned for the retention of The Strand Multi-Use Games Area at Portland Row which was nearly lost before An Coimisiún Pleanála refused planning permission on the site. “That’s not just a good news story, it's a great news story. We have saved the pitch and now we're going to work with Dublin City Council to make it a better space and put something really good in there and move forward in a very positive manner,” she told Dublin Live.

View 3 Images Lord Mayor Daryl Barron and Kellie Harrington race at SportsFest launch (Image: Conor McCabe Photography)

Speaking at the launch, Harrington also confirmed her hopes of competing in a third consecutive Olympic Games, describing the prospect of fighting at Los Angeles 2028 as a "big, big dream of mine”. While Harrington had announced her retirement from professional boxing after winning gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, she announced her return 18 months later and last competed in June to great success at the Four Nations tournament in Glasgow.

“I have no pressure on me because at the end of the day, I've done back-to-back gold, and that hasn't been done before in female sport in Ireland. So I am pretty happy with that. I will probably try and give it a go to qualify,” she said.

“I never look at medals or anything like that. Trying to get there is a very, very hard process. But they'll start in April of next year and, like I said, it's very hard, and plus you have to get out of Ireland, so you have to win your Irish Championships and you should never overlook them either."

Lord Mayor Barron said that SportsFest stands out as one of “Dublin's most successful initiatives for promoting health, wellbeing and community participation”. “Over the past decade it has encouraged people of all ages and abilities to get involved in sport, try new activities and connect with their local communities,” he said.

“The introduction of a free family sports day at Grangegorman is a fantastic addition to the programme. I would encourage everyone to come along, get active, meet local clubs and organisations, and enjoy what promises to be a fun, welcoming and inclusive day for all."

The event forms part of Dublin's contribution to the European Week of Sport and the #BeActive campaign, which promotes sport and physical activity across Europe. Representatives from the European Commission will also attend, highlighting the importance of active lifestyles, inclusion, and community participation at both local and European level.

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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