Shamrock Rovers team up with Senco Sensory Solutions and South Dublin County Council to provide a mobile sensory room on matchdays at Tallaght Stadium

Following a successful trial converting the unused TV studio at Tallaght Stadium in our last men’s premier division game, the club is delighted to expand the provision of sensory facilities at home games in partnership with Senco Sensory Solutions at our next home game on Friday 29^th Sept against Shelbourne.

In our effort to make matchdays at Tallaght Stadium as inclusive as possible and to encourage as many people as possible to come to our games, the addition of sensory facilities has been welcomed by families with children who have autism. Children who are neurodiverse will now be able to attend the match and have a safe space to go to when the crowds and noise get a little too much.

The club will build on the service for the 2024 season and is delighted to see out the 2023 season with the fantastic facility that is the Sensory Express Bus. There is already a waiting list to use the service and we will cover as many as we can over the next three games and into next season.

The Sensory Express was developed to bring a sensory room directly to children who need a safe space to retreat to in order to be able to attend events such as matches and most importantly be able to enjoy them. The bus is a magical sensory haven that includes a bubble tube and waterwall along with projection for some fantastic visual feedback, a colour-changing ball pool for proprioceptive fun, a light-up dance floor to get rid of some excess energy, sensory grass and liquid lava tiles that are tactile and a vibration and fibre optic bench area for calming and regulation.

The club has provided Audio Described Commentary service for a number of years now working with the National Council for the Blind. This free service is provided by club volunteers who assist those who are visually impaired to help them enjoy the games as much as possible in Tallaght Stadium.

Tallaght Stadium continues to be as accessible as possible with multiple marked disabled carpark spaces, braille signage, matchday assistants, covered disabled bays and an internal lift for fans who require assistance to get to the upper section of the Main Stand. We have a fantastic working relationship with South Dublin County Council, stadium management and staff who are fully behind the Sensory Room initiative along with a number of projects that continue to make Tallaght Stadium the fantastic facility that it is today.