A Line Drawn Between 2010 and 2026

We’ve talked a lot in 2025 — about oversight, about systems that look fine on paper but fail people in real life, about how inequality doesn’t start in Leinster House and doesn’t end there either. It shows up at kitchen tables, bus stops, club nights, and in the quiet decisions people make just to cope.
Back in 2010, during the last All-Ireland Games Josephine attended, I saw first-hand how fragile the reality was beneath the smiles. This was the era of austerity, and yes, people were struggling everywhere — but within the club environment, that struggle became invisible. Fees had to be paid. Travel had to be covered. Participation had a cost.
And people coped quietly.
Loans were taken out.
Meals were skipped.
Support came not from structures or oversight, but from individuals stepping in behind the scenes.
That wasn’t resilience.
That was survival.
Fast-forward to 2025, and we’re still having the same conversations — about clubs with unclear governance, blurred personal and official roles, WhatsApp numbers representing organisations with personal photos instead of transparency, and serious questions about how money, decisions, and power are actually managed on the ground.
We’ve talked about disability services collapsing into parents’ laps.
About SNAs and teachers being stretched beyond breaking point.
About children missing early intervention, waiting years for assessments, and families being forced to fight the State just to access basic supports.
About millions being spent resisting parents instead of helping children.
And now Josephine is heading to the All-Ireland Games in 2026.
The difference this time is this:
I won’t be quietly propping things up.
She knows where my door is. She always has.
If she genuinely needs my help, I won’t turn her away — that’s not who I am.
But otherwise, I’m standing well back.
Not out of bitterness.
Not out of anger.
But because systems only improve when they’re forced to carry their own weight.
If an athlete can only cope when someone outside the system steps in privately, then the system hasn’t evolved — it’s just learned to hide its failures better.
So let’s be honest in 2026.
Let’s see if things really have changed since 2010.
Let’s see if participation no longer comes at the cost of wellbeing.
Let’s see if inclusion finally means support without sacrifice.
Because progress isn’t measured by medals, awards nights, or glossy photos.
It’s measured by whether someone like Josephine can take part without having to struggle in silence.
That’s the conversation we’ve been having all through 2025.
And it’s one we shouldn’t stop having now.

Popular posts from this blog

Shadows Behind the Medals at Special Olympics Ireland

Overview: The book weaves together deeply personal experiences, focusing on friendships, loss, and the challenges faced by those involved in the Special Olympics community, particularly in Ireland. It highlights the struggles of athletes, volunteers, and supporters, showcasing both the positive impact of the Special Olympics as well as its darker sides, such as financial strain, limited support, and the way its operations sometimes create rifts in personal relationships. --- Key Themes & Events: 1. The Tragic House Fire in Bray (2005): The story begins with a personal tragedy: a house fire in Bray that claims the life of the protagonist's (you) friend's father, William. This devastating event leaves William homeless for several months as his house is repaired. During this time, your close friendship with William and his best friend, Josephine, forms the backbone of the narrative. Josephine divides her time between Bray and Dublin, supporting both you and William as they nav...
Read more

Shadows of Friendship and Change

Chapter 1: The Tragic House Fire In December 2005, the small town of Bray was shaken by a devastating house fire that claimed the life of Billy Riggs, a local pensioner. The fire, believed to have been caused by a chip pan, engulfed his home on Greenpark Road, leaving his son, William, and a family friend in shock. Despite their attempts to escape, Billy could not be saved, and he was later pronounced dead at St Colmcille's Hospital. William, just 26 years old at the time, was left homeless and struggling with the loss of his father. The tragedy set in motion a series of events that would forever change the lives of those involved. One of the people most affected by this was Josephine, William's best friend and former schoolmate from New Court School in Bray. Josephine, along with others, became a crucial part of William's support system during the difficult months that followed the fire. --- Chapter 2: A Support System Josephine, who had been William's closest friend, ...
Read more

Title: Shadows Behind the Medals

This book tells the deeply personal and previously untold story of what happened behind the scenes of Special Olympics Ireland, focusing especially on the Wicklow club. At the heart of the story is a powerful friendship — between you and Josephine — and how it was slowly eroded by an organisation that claimed to support athletes, but often ended up isolating, controlling, and financially burdening them instead. The story begins in the early 2000s, with the tragic house fire in Bray in December 2005 that killed William’s father, Billy Riggs. Josephine, William’s best friend and schoolmate from New Court School, and you, offered William support during this dark time. Josephine travelled between Bray and Dublin, spending Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in Bray, and the rest of the week in your home, where she had her own key since 2003. These were years of deep friendship, emotional support, shared meals, DVDs, and TV nights — and building a quiet refuge from the world. Over time, howeve...
Read more