Trace the history of Irish sport and it's largely a tale of emigration and immigration.
Many of America's earliest Olympic heroes - like Martin Sheridan, Paddy Ryan and Pat McDonald - were born in Ireland.
Irishmen played a huge role in the growth of professional boxing in the US and Britain.
And the impact on the biggest global sport of all - football - is clear too. Glasgow Celtic was founded by Irish emigrants, and Liverpool's first manager was John McKenna from Monaghan.
Other clubs with Irish roots include Hibernian and Dundee United in Scotland and Salamanca in Spain.
Then there's Patrick O'Connell - the Dubliner who's credited with saving Barcelona due to his decision as manager to take them on a tour of America during the Spanish Civil War which cleared their debts.
Much was made of Alexis Mac Allister's Irish links when he played a big part in helping Argentina win the World Cup last month, but he's following in illustrious footsteps.
Irish surnames dominate the early history of Argentine professional football, and the biggest impact was made by Tipperary native Paddy McCarthy - the first coach of Boca Juniors. One day, Diego Maradona would wear their colours...
What about rugby? Well, the first captain of the All Blacks was Dave Gallagher from Ramelton in Donegal.
What about the impact of immigrants to Ireland? Well, just look at the shortlists for RTE's recent annual sports awards.
Zaur Antia from Georgia and Vera Pauw from the Netherlands were in the running for manager of the year.
Sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke - with Nigerian roots - took the young sportsperson of the year gong, succeeding Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu - also with Nigerian heritage - who'd won it in 2021.
And, last summer, Stefan Okunbor won an All-Ireland with Kerry. Okunbor was born in Moldova to a Nigerian father and Moldovan mother.
That is the context in which to place recent demonstrations against immigrants and asylum seekers - with those in East Wall and Ballymun in Dublin getting most coverage.
Ignoring the many positive stories of emigration and immigration is simply wrong.
There has been a concerted attempt to demonise new arrivals - something that worries former Dublin footballer Michael Darragh Macauley.
He works as a community officer in the north inner city, and East Wall is part of his territory.
"I think a lot of people are disappointed and shocked by the scenes, to be honest. Does sport have a role? Of course it does,'' he said.
"For some people, social media and Facebook can become a town hall. They believe whatever they hear or read there. And misinformation is leading to anger and xenophobia.
"In terms of sports' role...people will buy into what their particular sport is selling - if you're a Bohs fan, or a Rovers fan or a Dubs fan or whatever.
"If people in sport come forward and be leaders on this issue, I think it's important. They have a voice to be heard."
One of those who's made his voice heard is Macauley's former Dublin teammate, Philly McMahon.
What happened in Ballymun cut him to the bone, as he is from the area, and McMahon made his feelings known on Twitter on Sunday night.
"Disappointing to see some of the scenes in Ballymun over the last two days. From a community that is judged constantly to now judging asylum seekers. It has evidence of far right claws in it. Some forget who we are."
Macauley isn't surprised that McMahon's words resonated with so many.
"We've seen it in sport over the past few years, things like the Black Lives Matter movement. Sportspeople have been very influential in turning the tide of social consciousness. I think it's important that sport in Ireland steps up as well,'' he said.
"I work in the north inner city and, in the last census, it was the most diverse area in the whole country.
"And we've seen the benefits in the sporting field, 100 per cent. I run a basketball programme and we have kids from the Philippines, China, Nigeria, Eritrea, from everywhere. The mix is absolutely huge. It's great and that is only for everyone's benefit.
"I have no worry for the kids growing up with Egyptians, Eritreans, Polish around them. They have grown up together and blended well. It's maybe some of the older people who are not used to new communities and new ways of life...
"We can't change the world with sport but we can help with integration and breaking down barriers."
That is something former Ireland boss Brian Kerr has long believed in, and he has been involved in Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI) for many years.
Indeed, when he was managing the national team, Kerr ensured he had a diverse staff because he had a diverse squad.
"Sportspeople know the benefits that immigrants have brought to Ireland, and the whole country should have seen it by now,'' said Kerr.
"Look at the diversity in the Irish soccer team, look at athletics, look at boxing and so many other sports.
"I remember talking to development officers 20 years ago and saying we'd have a great opportunity when the kids of immigrants came through because they'd be giving us something different.
"There are some local people involved but there's definitely an organised right wing approach to these protests, moving from place to place and stirring things up.
"I think the silent majority of the population would be against that kind of protest and that attitude."
Like Macauley, Kerr feels sport has a role in the fight against prejudice and disinformation.
"I think there's a responsibility on sportspeople to support any kind of counter-actions that are being taken,'' he said.
"Not just because we're sportspeople, but from a fairness point of view.
"It's not the fault of people who've come here because of the regimes they've lived under, or because Putin has decided to bomb the shit out of Ukraine.
"It's not their fault that there's a housing and health crisis here. They've had to escape their own homes. It wouldn't be their choice to live in a hotel room a long way where you can't even cook for yourself.
"Of course, there will always be some opportunists but there's a system to weed them out, a system to deal with that. It's too slow and unwieldy, as it currently stands.
"There's a basic fairness in the way people who are involved in sport approach things. There's a basic welcoming attitude, because they're usually looking at people in terms of their ability and potential and they know the benefits of social interaction that they've got out of sport themselves.''
There's one thing that Daniel Lambert wants to get straight from the start.
He doesn't consider what is happening in Ballymun, Drimnagh, East Wall etc as protests. He has another way of describing it.
"If you're talking about protest, it's about going to a place where you can bring about change or where people who are responsible can be found,'' he said.
"But standing outside a place where people are being housed - women and children and families - and shouting 'get them out'...to me, that's intimidation.''
Lambert is the Chief Operating Officer of Bohemian FC, a club that has made a massive effort to be inclusive.
That goes from wearing shirts with the message 'refugees welcome' to collecting toys at Christmas to give to kids in direct provision centres.
From Moville in Donegal to Fermoy in Cork and places in between, there have been protests similar to those we've seen in Dublin recently, and Lambert feels local people are being manipulated by some with sinister motives.
"Definitely. You can see the same banners. You can see the people who run various YouTube accounts, they're all there. You can see the same parties, in inverted commas. The same rhetoric, the same disinformation,'' he said.
"The concerns around housing, education and health and the erosion of social safety nets across the country. especially in working class communities, is horrendous, and is worthy of protest.
"But to somehow equate that to asylum seekers being responsible for that is lowest common denominator stuff.''
Lambert was to the fore on social media this week in highlighting the toxicity of some of the demonstrations.
And he feels that sportspeople can make a real difference.
"Sport definitely has a role, probably football more than any other sport because of the fact that those who come here...they all love football,'' he said.
"In the League of Ireland over the last few years, there have been a lot of players from Nigerian backgrounds.
"Clubs have platforms, individual sportspeople have platforms, they are heroes for young people to look up to. Sporting organisations can impact on young fans if they highlight issues - from housing to the treatment of migrants.
"We work with migrants but we also work with homeless charities and in Mountjoy prison. What is really telling for me is that, when we go to Mountjoy, nobody ever comments on a post online saying 'why aren't we working with people outside prison?'
"The same when we post about working with homeless people but, as soon as we put up a post about working with migrants, there are comments - 'why aren't we helping our own?'
"To me, sport can have a key role because it's high profile, people have a connection to it on an emotional level and it has the ability to shape mindsets.''
READ NEXT:
Former Irish soccer player Robbie Horgan 'hours from death' after being 'too stubborn' to go to A&E
Denis Leamy on his 'Hail Mary' against the Saints when they last played Munster at Thomond Park
Ruby Walsh backs Jack Kennedy to still challenge for jockeys' title after leg break
FA launch spot-fixing investigation after Arsenal match vs Oxford
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alert
