IRISH SPORTS COUNCIL Launch of Show Racism the Red Card DVD Interactive Education Resource
This Monday sees the launch of the Show Racism the Red Card DVD Interactive Education Resource at the Grand Hotel Malahide. Funded by the Office of the Minister for Integration and the Football Association of Ireland and supported by Basketball Ireland, Gaelic Players Association, Irish Sports Council and the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland the Show Racism the Red Card charity will be launching for free distribution 5,000 DVD Interactive Education Resource packs to be targeted primarily for use in Irish schools.
Among those attending will be Irish International Kevin Kilbane who features on the DVD, ex- Irish Internationals John Anderson and David Kelly and World Players Union FIFPRO Anti-racism ambassador and ex-star of Chelsea, Celtic and Sampdoria- Paul Elliot. They will be joined by players from the Eircom League of Ireland and GAA stars who appear in the DVD. Others attending the launch will include John Delaney (CEO FAI), Stephen Mc Guinness (Professional Footballers Association of Ireland), Dessie Farrell (CEO of the Gaelic Players Association) and representatives of Basketball Ireland.
Young people from schools from the Dublin region will have the opportunity on Monday to participate in a questions and answers session with the stars.
The launch will take place at the Grand Hotel Malahide, 1:45pm Monday 4th February and MC for the event will be RTE's Aidan Power.
The Show Racism the Red Card DVD pack is a resource pack which features top stars of Irish Basketball, Football and GAA harnessing their profile to convey a powerful anti-racism message. The education pack is structured to support communities and young people to address the issue of racism and also to support integration. The DVD produced by Paradise Pictures relates the experience of sports personalities including Irish soccer internationals Kevin Kilbane, Ciara Grant and Emma Byrne, Cork Hurling star Sean Og O hAilpin, Dublin's Paul Casey and Eircom League players Joseph Ndo, Owen Heary, Kevin Hunt, Graham Gartland, Eamon Zayed and Basketball Ireland International Justin Naughten. It combines their experience with the experience and of young people from Balbriggan and Drogheda and how they felt and responded to racism in their schools and communities. The pack will be used as part of the CSPE (Civil Social and Political Education) curriculum in the Junior Certificate cycle, Transition year at second level and will also be used as part of the SPHE curriculum in senior primary school.
For more information:
Garrett Mullan
Co-ordinator for Show Racism the Red Card
www.theredcard.ie
info@theredcard.ie
086 392 7650
Notes on some of the participants for launch:
John Anderson was capped 22 times for the Republic of Ireland and played for Newcastle United for most of his career. He currently works as a commentator for BBC radio Newcastle and also works part-time as a coach with the Show Racism the Red Card in Newcastle upon Tyne.
David Kelly was capped 26 times for the Republic of Ireland scoring 9 goals in his international career. He was a striker for both Newcastle United and Sunderland in the 1990s. He became involved with Show Racism the Red Card in the early stages of the project in 1995. His most famous goal for Ireland came in a February 1995 friendly clash against England in which Ireland was winning 1-0, with Kelly scoring just before the half hour mark. The game was abandoned shortly thereafter due to the activity of the racist British National Party contingent in the crowd at Lansdowne Road.
Paul Elliot was awarded the MBE for his work with young players and his involvement with anti-racism initiatives in football. As one of the first black players to play in the Old Firm along with Mark Walters, Elliott and Walters were subjected to racist abuse from opposition.
Kevin Kilbane has been capped 86 times for Ireland and has scored 9 goals for Ireland. He appears in the Show Racism the Red Card DVD alongside other footballers from the Irish international men and women's teams. He currently plays for Wigan Athletic. His previous clubs are Everton, Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End.