Philly’s Half Time Talk can be full-time success

DUBLIN GAA star and Ballymun legend Philly McMahon is asking adults between ages 18 and 29 to take part in an innovative focus group that will attempt to tackle social issues in his local area. 

McMahon is currently developing an altruistic venture called ‘Half Time Talk’ that aims to steer troubled youth in the right direction and away from the perils of crime, drug use and unemployment.

Together with retired DCU Director, Bernadette McCullagh, he’s put together a 12-person board that includes respected business individuals as well as a number of former Dublin GAA players.

The new venture is looking to assist local charities in combatting drug abuse and blockages to higher education pathways.

“We’re trying to do some research into the Ballymun area to try and see what people are missing out on,” McMahon told Northside People.

“We need to find out what we need to try and target in terms of high risk youths and drug addicts. There’s a lot of good organisations in the area doing a lot of good work, so we don’t want to overlap them, but we certainly know there still are issues.

“That’s why we’re setting up focus groups to find out why are these youths are still finding it hard to get employment. And why are they still finding it hard to go and ask for help?

“We can only look at what is being done with organisations in the Ballymun community and see if there are any gaps that we can help fill. 

“And maybe that’s just me being the face of something that might help people step out more to a really good charity that’s already located in Ballymun.”

McMahon has high hopes for Half Time Talk in Ballymun, the rest of Dublin, and potentially the whole of Ireland one day. He believes the charity could eventually provide a fundamental way of steering disadvantaged youth towards more productive pathways.

Organisation and surrounding himself around the right people has been a huge part of McMahon’s success as both a businessman and an athlete, and the Dublin corner-back believes that the team Half Time Talk has in place will have tremendous success; not just in Ballymun, but potentially in communities around Ireland as well.

“We could have initially went ’let’s set up a program and see how it goes’, and then branch it out, but that’s not what we wanted to do,” added McMahon.

“We want to create something really unique. I believe this board is one of the strongest boards in the country. 

“High risk youth is the first area we want to focus on and we’re trialling it in Ballymun on a pilot basis, and then hopefully it works, and we can move to other communities and then eventually target the whole country.

“That’s ultimately what we’re looking at – can we create something that is going to make this country better?”

Half Time Talk will be hosting their first focus group on Monday, December 12, in BRYR, Sillogue Road at 9.30am. To attend message your name and contact details to www.facebook.com/halftimetalk.