'Street Leagues' to open in cinemas nationwide today

Street Leagues had its world premiere at the 2020 Dublin International Film Festival where it received a Special Commendation for Human Rights on Film in recognition by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties – Ireland’s leading independent human rights campaigning organisation. Now, it will open in cinemas nationwide.

Founded by Sean Kavanagh in 2002 in an effort to connect with local young people who were heading down a dark path in life, the Irish Street Leagues are an important part of Dublin's community support. In Kavanagh's words, “The reason why sport is so effective at changing people’s mindset is that when you’re playing, you’re out of your environment. You become a different person. You’re no longer troubled by the baggage of your lifestyle and all your problems are forgotten.”

Sean was amazed when over 200 people showed up to the first tournament. The following year, Sean brought a selection of Irish players to compete in the inaugural Homeless World Cup in Austria and then expanded the Street Leagues into a weekly program to provide support to players year-round. With over 3,000 participants to date, the Street Leagues have proven to be a vital lifeline for men & women of all ages to get their lives back on track.

In 2017, Director Daniel F. Holmes documented the Irish team’s journey to compete in the Homeless World Cup in Oslo, Norway. Together, the players form a unique, charismatic & deeply inspiring group of people with one shared goal: to fulfill their true potential and make their country proud on the world stage.

Also participating in the documentary is actor Colin Farrell, who acts as the team's ambassador. “I’ve been to rehab," Farrell notes. "I’ve been an alcoholic & a drug addict but the only difference is that I had something of a film career to step back into. It can happen to any of us, there's so many factors involved.”