About us
Head in the Game was initially set up by a group of Dundalk FC fans, with the goal of starting a positive conversation about mental health and well-being in the Irish football community, and wider Irish society.
We want to provoke an important discussion and create awareness about mental health while breaking down the stigma that comes with it.
In recent years we have seen the topic of mental health come to the forefront more than ever before.
However, common mental health issues such as depression and anxiety still have negative connotations attached to them, and admission of suffering is still perceived as a weakness by many.
We are very aware League of Ireland clubs have initiated localised discussions and campaigns, but we believe a general campaign like Head in the Game would be the first of its kind.
The public backing of clubs and the people involved with these clubs would be powerful for stimulating the involvement of stakeholders within the league, and the FAI.
Head in the Game is inclusive to all, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
Our Mission
If we can help one person that would justify the existence of Head in the Game.
We want to empower anyone that may be struggling with mental health.
Our ambition is to highlight the topic of mental well-being within the League of Ireland, as we feel it will always be beneficial to everyone involved in the league.
As a group, we feel we should speak openly about people’s inability to access viable mental health services in almost every corner of the country.
Unfortunately, many people are not in a position to get the support they desperately need with mental health services overwhelmed with cases.
So, we have built official partnerships like Jigsaw and Shine to try and promote their unbelievable work and fundraise in different ways with the kind help of the Irish footballing community.
We’ll do our utmost to help anyone that reaches out and set them on the path to a better tomorrow.
Harry Taaffe
The tragic passing of Dundalk FC stalwart Harry Taaffe was an incomprehensible blow to everyone in Dundalk, and around the League of Ireland in general.
It brought with it an all too familiar feeling of sadness and despair to the community.
At the time of his death, Harry was the groundsman and videographer for Dundalk. More importantly, he was beloved by every person that was lucky enough to encounter him.
He is a real driving force behind the start and subsequent national expansion of Head in the Game.
Sadly, the truth is, not one club within our league hasn’t suffered the gut-wrenching loss due to a similar tragedy over the last decade.
You can still feel Harry’s presence during any visit to Oriel Park, but he’ll always be sadly missed by all that knew him.