Stars, stripes and stadium lights: the NFL comes to Ireland

Croke Park Stadium, Dublin

Though conceived and developed many miles from the shores of the Emerald Isle, American football’s history is laced with echoes of Ireland. For starters, many of the game’s most famous players, including 49ers legends Joe Montana and Colin Kaepernick, had Irish grandparents. Arguably the greatest of all time, Tom Brady, has spoken of his pride in his connections to County Cavan. Even some of the NFL’s most iconic teams have been inspired by Ireland: legend has it that when the new owner of the New York Jets took over the franchise in 1963, he changed the team colours from blue and gold to green and white to mark his birthday on St Patrick’s Day.   

One of Ireland’s strongest connections is with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Founder and patron Arthur Joseph Rooney Sr was the great-grandson of two County Down natives who, like so many of their neighbours, were forced to leave home due to the ravages of the Great Famine. Rooney established the Steelers in 1933 and named the team as an homage to the city's steelworkers, many of whom were Irish. 

An NFL grandee, the Steelers dominated the sport in the late 1970s. In total, they have won six Super Bowls, which puts them joint top of the all-time winners’ table alongside the New England Patriots. 

Killykeen Forest Park, Co Cavan

Game time in Ireland 

Given their connection to this island, the Steelers' involvement in what will be the first-ever NFL match-up on Irish soil comes as little surprise. The game takes place on 28 September in Dublin, at the home of Gaelic Games.   

Fans of their opponents, the Minnesota Vikings, could argue that their visit to Ireland next month is also something of a homecoming. The fearsome Norsemen who give their name to the franchise are the very same group who settled Dubh Linn (Irish for Black Pool) over a thousand years ago and founded what would eventually become Dublin.  

In the city’s pubs, cafes and restaurants, there is sure to be much discussion among fans of both sides as to whose roots are greener. Either way, visitors can expect these debates to be conducted in the great tradition of amicable rivalry that is such a positive trait of American football culture and everything that goes with it.  

There are many here in Ireland who simply cannot wait. 

“I feel the NFL game in Dublin this year is going to set a standard for the league,” says Michael McQuaid, CEO of Pro Football Ireland. “It’s coming here, it's sold out, and I expect Dublin to really make a statement.”  

Michael fell in love with gridiron football after watching it on late-night television when he was at Ulster University. He became hooked and started reporting on the NFL for the Irish market as well as organising events and meetups with other fans around the island of Ireland. His company now specialises in the promotion of American Football throughout Ireland and Europe. He records and broadcasts several podcasts that cover the NFL, the popular college football season and even hosts a show titled The Domestic Game.  

American football’s Irish fans 

While young fellas walking around with shoulder pads and helmets have yet to replace those clutching hurls, American football in Ireland has grown significantly since the first game was played here in 1984. American Football Ireland (AFI) – the body that runs and promotes the game on the island of Ireland – now boasts a three-division league. It features the top two teams from the eight-team Premier League battling it out in the final game of the season, the Shamrock Bowl. In total, there are 24 teams registered with the AFI, with the Elks from Ulster and the Minotaurs from Westmeath regularly taking on the likes of the Dublin Vipers or the Cill Dara Crusaders. 

“There is a wide range of abilities in that league,” says Michael. “But the thing that stands out for me is that, year on year, the attendance at the Shamrock Bowl is getting bigger.” 

For most people in Ireland, however, the joy of the game is found in watching it together. Indeed, watching a game has become such a popular way to spend a Sunday evening that Dublin pubs like Sinnott’s and The Woolshed have built theme nights around regular matches during the season. 

“I have seen the popularity of the game grow,” says Michael. “When we started a few years ago, we would have had 10 to 15 people at a live podcast or a watch party, but we’re now getting anywhere from 100 to 300 coming along, which is cool. If you look at the college games that we have hosted in Ireland in the last few years, more and more Irish people are attending, and I feel the only way is up.”  

Though much of this year’s focus will be on that epic NFL clash in September, Dublin will also be buzzing in August when fans from Kansas State and Iowa State ride into town with all their razzmatazz and colour for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Whichever game they're coming to, fans should take the opportunity to see what else the island of Ireland has to offer. One of the great things about Ireland is its compact size, and getting in and out of Dublin is relatively easy. 

Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone 

Beyond the game 
For visitors with Irish roots, the award-winning EPIC Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin is a must. Belfast boasts the impressive Titanic Museum, and at the Ulster American Folk Park in County Tyrone, you can discover the immigrant experience from Ulster to America. As you head south along the Wild Atlantic Way, you’ll be able to see the ancestral homes of Joe Biden in Mayo, John F Kennedy in Limerick and Ronald Reagan in Tipperary before you reach the Wild Atlantic Way and the fascinating Valentia Island Transatlantic Cable Station in County Kerry.   

Of course, these are just a few of the highlights, and most of your memories from your trip to Ireland will likely centre on the people you meet and the friendships you make as you travel around the country and take in its unique scenery. In many ways, a trip to Ireland is just like American Football – the spectacle itself is great, but what goes on around it is just as much fun. 

“I love the sport,” says Michael McQuaid. “But more than anything, I love watching the games. It brings people together. A lot of Irish people have family in North America, and they can connect with them through football, and that’s quite unique. I can’t wait for the game in September. The whole event promises so much, and I think it could be the start of something very special.”