Grappling with Barriers: Collaboration as a Key to Inclusion in Maynooth Sport

On a bright and sunny Tuesday afternoon in Maynooth, students scatter across campus in every direction. Some are sipping pints in the SU bar, others enjoy impromptu picnics and sunbathing outside the John Hume building. Many are shooting hoops on the basketball court, heading to Gaelic football training, or lacing up for a jog.  

Sport and exercise are a key part of student life, and, in theory, they are visible, accessible, and inclusive. But for some Maynooth students, particularly Muslim women, the barriers around participation are far more complex and far less visible.  

The Maynooth Jiu Jitsu Club is one of the university’s newest. Founded at the beginning of the 2025 spring semester, it already boasts a sizable membership. Training sessions are open to all, with a focus on introducing beginners to the self-defence-based martial art. It is also open to curious Silver Hand journalists who wish to observe the society’s first-ever collaboration event; a training session with the women of MU’s Islamic Society.  

A 2022 article entitled ‘Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women’ by British Muslim academic Dr. Haifaa Jawad details Muslim women's struggle to engage in sport. Jawad explains that while neither the Quran nor the Hadiths - Islam’s holy book and texts recording statements of the Prophet Mohammad, respectively - exclude or discourage women from participating, many feel that modern sporting environments create barriers that prevent them from doing so.  

In Islam, modest dress is encouraged for men and women, including hair coverings and loose-fitting clothing for the latter. While some brands, such as Nike, have developed sport-specific hijabs and modest activewear, in certain secular countries and sporting organisations such coverings have been restricted, or even banned. Jawad argues that these limitations create significant obstacles for Muslim women, who want to partake comfortably in sport.  

Tucked away in a small sports hall at the back of the Phoenix building, the session began with light warm-ups led by Jiu Jitsu Club president Mark Finnegan, supported by club Events Manager Conor Cooper, Secretary Emma Connery, and member Saidhbh Poullain. Around a dozen female members of the Islamic Society took part, dressed in a range of modest activewear and loose-fitting clothing - none of which prevented the participants from quickly adapting to each technique shown.  

Moods were high, and coaches and trainees alike quickly became comfortable working together. This was no accident, and a purposeful aspect of the carefully planned collaboration, as explained to me by Finnegan and Poullain.  

“The Islamic society reached out to us to collaborate,” says Finnegan. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I thought they might be nervous to train with a man.”  

It’s a concern not entirely without merit. Asma’u Abdulsalami, an Islamic Society participant, acknowledges that Muslim women may feel uneasy engaging in sport within mixed-gender environments.  

“In my religion, it’s not encouraged to have physical contact with the opposite gender,” she explains. “And when you hear of a woman doing martial arts, you might be surprised - because what often comes to mind is the mixing of bodies. I would be excited for her, because I would think she had found a group with just girls.”  

This aligns with a point made by Jawad, who describes the lack of gendersegregated spaces as a “real concern” for Muslim women who wish to engage in sport. She argues that creating such spaces is essential not only for safety, but to empower more women to participate. Abdulsalami, who practised karate and taekwondo as a child, agrees: “I came because I was interested in trying jiu-jitsu, and also because it [the session] was all sisters. I felt more comfortable being around women than males. It’s just about comfort.”  

That comfort, says Poullain, was central to the planning. “We wanted them to have a safe environment. We asked them what they would like us to do to accommodate them.”  

The resulting adjustments were slight, but meaningful. While Finnegan and Cooper led warmups from the mats, they stepped back when the session moved into the hands-on techniques of grappling and rolling. At that stage, Poullain and Connery took over as lead coaches, able to demonstrate moves and engage physically with participants. Finnegan and Cooper remained on the sidelines, offering guidance and encouragement, and the session ran smoothly from start to finish. The trainees laughed and showed evident enthusiasm as they received this guidance.  

“They picked it up really quickly,” says Poullain of the event. “They were very good with the techniques and skills.”  

Abdulsalami agreed that she would like to see more such collaborations, so that she and other women – Muslim and non-Muslim alike – could have a safe, comfortable space to exercise; “In some countries, they even have women-only gym times. If that would even be possible here, it would be great.”  

The Islamic Society has continued to collaborate with other student groups. At the time of writing, they are promoting both women-only and men-only sessions with the Dodgeball Society. At a university that values inclusivity and diversity, student-led initiatives like these help turn policy into practice.  

That’s something Finnegan and Poullain hope to build on in the forthcoming academic year. They’re eager to see more crossover between their society and others and encourage anyone curious about jiu-jitsu to give it a try.  

“Anyone can do jiu-jitsu,” says Finnegan. “It’s not for a certain type of person. It’s for everyone.”