Fostering and the GAA strengthen communities and families
Danny Kelly and his wife Dolores pictured at home with their foster children.
By David Lawlor
The beauty of sport doesn’t just lie in the skill of the participants, nor in the dedication they have to their training; nor is it in the trophies and medals that they compete for.
The real beauty lies in the spirit and sense of community it brings to those who turn up to play and for their families who cheer from the sidelines.
‘Family and ‘community’ are words that are synonymous with the GAA, just as they are with people who foster, and when it comes to GAA families, you’d be hard-pressed to find another in the country as dedicated as Danny Kelly’s.
It’s fair to say that Danny, who hails from Tullagh, Clonmany, on the picturesque Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal, lives and breathes GAA football, as do his eight children and five foster children. No doubt his 18 grandchildren (all under eight years of age) will be getting football boots for Christmas too.
“This house was always a GAA home. I played for Westmeath and Donegal; my children all played for the local club. I was chairman of Urris GAA, manager of the men’s and women’s teams; all our children played, and the foster children all play too,” says retired Garda, Kelly (72).
He and wife Dolores (65) have been fostering for 15 years and, despite their own large brood, there was never any doubt that the couple would take up fostering at some stage.
“We were watching The Late Late Show one night and there was a woman on – a truck driver – who had fostered more than a hundred children, and we thought we’d give it a try,” says Kelly.
“Not everyone is as lucky as we are. All our children have had a good start in life and now have good jobs, and when you see some of the children who need to be fostered that’s not the case.”
Along with their birth children, Danny and Dolores currently have five foster children in their home ranging from five to 20 years of age, all of whom share a love of GAA and have played at all levels in the Junior squads.
“It all started with our own children and continued with the others,” says Kelly. “My boys are still friends with team-mates they had over 30 years ago, and the girls have made friends for life through the GAA.”
Surely, though, with so many children to care for, that there will be no more fostering in the Kelly household.
“I wouldn’t rule it out entirely,” says Kelly, laughing. “Dolores might be persuaded to take someone else in at some stage, you never know!”
And his advice to anyone considering taking up fostering?
“Have a go! You never know until you try!”
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Across Ireland, 3,793 foster carers currently open their homes to 5,023 children (Figures as of June 2025). Fostering is an extraordinarily generous act performed by ordinary people going that extra mile for young people at a time when they most need help.
Jacqueline Smyth, National Lead for Tusla Fostering, says: “Stories like Danny and Dolores’s remind us that the GAA represents much more than sport – its values are about community, care and belonging. Just as teams thrive when everyone plays their part, so too do children when they have a supportive home. If you have ever thought about making a difference off the pitch, fostering could be one of the most meaningful ways to do it.
“That gesture and commitment changes children’s lives and it changes the lives of the families who foster in all kinds of amazing ways. Now, more than ever, children in our communities need loving, safe, stable homes where they can thrive and grow. You can be that adult that changes a child’s life forever.
“There is a huge demand for foster carers for children of all ages. When a child goes into care, it is important to try and keep them within their community so they can still attend the same school and clubs.”
Jarlath Burns, Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, says: “We are delighted to support Tusla in this recruitment drive for foster carers. We believe every child deserves the love and care of a family and a community, and GAA families are at the heart of communities across Ireland.”
Start your fostering journey today. Freephone 1800 226 771, visit www.fostering.ie.