Hat-trick hero Troy Parrott and the power of social inclusion

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

The success of Irish sporting stars Troy Parrott and Kellie Harrington shone a light on the benefits of social inclusion, according to a Louth councillor who warned against cuts in Louth during 2026.

Fears around a reduction in investment for social inclusion work emerged at Louth County Council’s Budget 2026 meeting, where Cllr. Michelle Hall and Cllr. Ejiro O’Hare Stratton outlined their concerns.

Over €7.5m was budgeted for social inclusion work in 2025, but Cllr. Hall said this looked to be falling below €7m for 2026.

She described social inclusion as “really important”, adding that Republic of Ireland football star Troy Parrott and Olympic boxer Kellie Harrington were both examples of how social inclusion “boosts the morale”.

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Kellie Harrington has been a key advocate for social inclusion, both through her extensive community work and in her role as an ambassador for a number of youth and sports initiatives.

Troy Parrott hails from a disadvantaged area of inner-city Dublin, and dedicated his youth to carving out the hugely successful football career.

Cllr. Hall said she had concerns that the council “had reduced our budget quite significantly for social inclusion.”

She also queried cuts for conservation projects, adding that this was a particularly important focus for Drogheda where there are so many heritage buildings.

"I think we have to be very careful about what we are increasing and decreasing the budget.”

Director of Service, Bernie Woods said the reduction under ‘social inclusion’ in the draft budget was largely due to the council no longer covering the costs for housing people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

She said funding under a number of different streams for social inclusion could become available during 2026, adding that councillors will be made aware of them as they emerge.