New RTÉ documentary explores Irish-led efforts to build bridges in divided Cyprus
More than a Game: From D1 to Pyla airs Monday 13 July
More Than a Game: From D1 to Pyla, a new RTÉ documentary airing on Monday, 13 July at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, tells the inspiring story of a unique community in Cyprus where Irish police officers, diplomats and young people are helping to foster understanding across one of Europe’s longest-standing divides.
A group of Dublin teenagers from the Belvedere Youth Club at the beating heart of the Northside travelled to the village of Pyla in Cyprus to have their horizons expanded by exposure to a different culture, different experiences and Greek and Turkish Cypriot teenagers with similar hopes and dreams.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the partition of Cyprus, the documentary follows efforts in the village of Pyla, the island’s only mixed Greek and Turkish Cypriot community, to overcome decades of separation and mistrust.
Central to that aim is the Gateway Project, an EU-supported initiative led by Garda Chief Superintendent Brian Woods, which seeks to create resilient and sustainable communities through dialogue, cooperation and shared experiences.
Set against the backdrop of Cyprus’s troubled history, the programme offers a hopeful perspective on reconciliation, showcasing how people from different backgrounds can come together to build trust, respect and a shared future.
More Than a Game: From D1 to Pyla airs on Monday, 13 July at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
ENDS
Date: Friday, 10 July 2026
For more information and interview requests:
Caoilinn Putti, RTÉ Communication
