The 2003 Irish American Football League 2003 Division 1 season featured four teams – the defending Champions Carrickfergus Knights, 2001 winners Dublin Rebels and Dublin Dragons all returned from 2002, while the Cork Admirals made the step up from the 8-man Division 2, replacing the University of Limerick Vikings, who went in the other direction in order to rebuild.

The Carrickfergus Knights and Dublin Rebels both finished the season on 5-1 Wins-Losses record, with the Knights winning the League Title, and gaining a bye into the Shamrock Bowl. The Cork Admirals met the Rebels in the Semi-Final, losing 56-8, as the Rebels went on to win their second Bowl 24-12 over the Knights.

League Table

[3][4]

Playoff Results

[3][4]

Regular Season Results

Week 2, 30 March 2003

Carrickfergus Knights 20 Dublin Rebels 14 – Played at Woodurn Road Carrickfergus – Carrickfergus Knights won 20-14 at home to Dublin Rebels on the back of two Ian McIlroy TD catches from Stephen McDowell. A run from Shaw put them beyond the Rebels, who got two rushing TDs from Marcus Naylor and Brian Dennehy in reply. [2]

Reference: [2]

Week 3, 6 April 2003

Dublin Dragons 28 Cork Admirals 14 – Dublin Dragons won 28-14 in Week 3 against newcomers to 11-a-side Football, Cork Admirals. Ulli Zinnecker opened the scoring in the second quarter for the Dublin team, and added a second rushing TD after the Dragons and Admirals had traded TDs through Wheeler and O’Carroll respectively. Cork came within touching distance at the end of the third quarter with O’Callaghan’s 75-yard run, but Zinnecker made it a hat-trick of rushing TDs in the fourth and added the 2-extra-point for a 28-14 Dragons victory. [2]

Reference: [2]

Week 4, 20 April 2003

Dublin Rebels 34 Dublin Dragons 0 – Played at Greystones RFC, Co. Wicklow – The Rebels scored an easy 34-0 win over the Dragons in week 4, Brian Dennehy scoring a hat-trick of rushing TDs. Simon Mackey returned an interception for 6 and Fearghal O’Donnchu caught a TD pass from Andy Dennehy in a comprehensive victory. [2]

Reference: [2]
[5]

Week 6, 4 May 2003

Dublin Dragons 0 Carrickfergus Knights 51 – Played at Lucan Community College, Co. South Dublin – The Dragons had no luck in Week 6 either, going down 51-0 to defending Champions Carrickfergus Knights. Six different players got touchdowns for the Knights, including Andy dirragh’s Interception Return and two each from Running Back Pete Watt and Wide Receiver Ian McIlroy as the Knights emerged early favourites for the title. [2]

Reference: [2]
[5]

Week 8, 18 May 2003

Dublin Rebels 40 Cork Admirals 12 – Played at Greystones RFC, Co. Wicklow – In Week 8, the Rebels showed they were well and truly back on form after 2002’s disappointments, winning 40-12 against Cork in Greystones. Fearghal O’Donnchu started the scoring in the first quarter with a 75-yard reception from QB Andy Dennehy, while Brian Dennehy continued his fine scoring form with TD runs for a touchdown in the second to leave Dublin 20-0 up at the half. Two more O’Donnchu catches in the endzone as well as a Simon Mackey TD Reception left the Rebels in a commanding position early in the fourth. McHale got two consolation TDs for Cork, both receptions from Lomansey, before O’Hanlon’s  2-extra-point return finished off the scoring for the Rebels. [2]

Reference: [2]
[5]

Week 9, 1 June 2003

Carrickfergus Knights 30 Cork Admirals 0 – Carrickfergus received a walkover in Week 9 from the Admirals

Week 10, 8 June 2003

Carrickfergus Knights 30 Dublin Dragons 0 – Carrickfergus received a walkover in Week 10 from the  Dragons

Week 11, 15 June 2003

Dublin Dragons 0 Dublin Rebels 41 – At Lucan Community College, Co. Dublin – The Rebels beat the Dragons 41-0 in Week 11. Brian Dennehy got a hat-trick of rushing TDs in the first quarter and Conor Ryan caught a TD Pass from Andy Dennehy to leave the Rebels 28-0 up at half time. Mark Kelly and Fearghal O’Donnchu added two more rushing TDs as the Rebels ground game ran all over the Dragons. [2]

Reference: [2]
[5]

Week 12, 22 June 2003

Dublin Rebels 12 Carrickfergus Knights 7 – At Greystones RFC, Co. Wicklow – Week 12 saw the Rebels stamp their authority on the league with a close 12-7 victory over Carrickfergus. Andy Dennehy and Simon Mackey ran in for touchdowns for the Rebels either side of a Paul McKillop reception in the endzone for the Knights. [5]

Reference: [5]

Week 13, 6 July 2003

Cork Admirals 42 Dublin Dragons 8 – Played at Pfizer Sports Club, Cork –  Cork Admirals won an 8-a-side game in Week 13, 42-6, against a 10-man Dublin Dragons, which counted as a forfeit for the Dragons, ending their playoff hopes. QB Lomansey scored on two Passes from Kenny, while Kid, Kenny and O’Callaghan each scored rushing TDs for Cork. The defense got in on the act aswell, with O’Sullivan’s 71-yard Fumble Return. The Dragons battled gamely with just the 10 men, and scored early in the fourth quarter, Olwill connecting with Walsh for the TD, but it was not enough, and they were then out of the Playoffs. [2][5]

Reference: [2]
[5]

Week 14, 13 July 2003

Cork Admirals 0 Dublin Rebels 44 – At Pfizer Sports Club, Ringaskiddy, Cork – The Rebels continued to impress in Week 14, winning 44-0 against Cork. Five different players got on the scoresheet before the game was halted after 5 minutes of the third quarter due to injury. [2][4]

Reference: [2][4]
[5]

Week 15, 20 July 2003

Cork Admirals 0 Carrickfergus Knights 32 – Played at Pfizer Sports Club, Cork – In Week 15, Paul McKillop scored three touchdowns in the first half, and Pollock and Cluxton added rushing TDs as Carrickfergus beat the Admirals 32-0 to finish off the season. [2]

Reference: [2]

Final IAFL Division 1 2003 Table

[3][4]

Carrickfergus Knights, as regular season champions, received a bye into the Shamrock Bowl, while the Dublin Rebels (also 5-1) and Cork Admirals (1-5) were to meet in the Semi-Final Playoff. Dublin Dragons (also 1-5) failed to make the Playoffs due to forfeiting their game with Cork. [3]

Playoffs

Semi-Final Playoff, 27 July 2003

Dublin Rebels 56 Cork Admirals 8 – The Dublin Rebels ran out comprehensive 56-8 winners over Cork Admirals in the Semi-Final. Brian Dennehy and Marcus Naylor opened the scoring for the rebels before Lomansey caught a Pass from Kenny to bring Cork within one TD, 16-8, at the end of the first quarter. From then on it was all Rebels as six different players scored touchdowns to finish out the game. [2]

Reference: [2]

Shamrock Bowl XVII, 10 August 2003

Carrickfergus Knights 12 Dublin Rebels 24 – Played at Suttonians RFC, Dublin – Shamrock Bowl XVII was won by the Rebels, with Andy Dennehy opening the scoring in the first quarter with a 4-yard run, which was converted for two by Mackey, before Paul McKillop’s 81-yard Pass reception brought the Knights within two points at the end of the first. Simon Mackey caught a TD reception of his own in the second, with Brian Dennehy getting the 2xpt. [4]

The Rebels scored a safety in the third to put them 18-6 up going into the fourth, as Robert Elliott caught a 13-yard Pass from McDowell to put the Knights within one TD. Brian Dennehy, the Rebels top scorer all season, finished off the scoring with a four-yard rin to give the game to the Rebels 24-12. [4]

Brian Dennehy was named MVP. [4]

Rerefernce: [4]

Reference

Websites

[3] Irish American Football Association (2003) 2003 Results [Internet] Available from: http://www.americanfootball.ie/iafl/2003results.htm [Accessed 24 September 2016]

Internet Archive

[2] Dublin Dragons (2003) – Wayback Machine [2003/08/10] News [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20030810042209/http://www.dublindragons.com/news.php [Accessed 11 October 2018]

[4] Dublin Rebels (2003) – Wayback Machine [2003/12/20] 2003 Results [Internet] Available from: web.archive.org/web/20031220034703/http://dublinrebels.com/2003results.html [Accessed 5 July 2017]

[5] Britball Now (2003) – Wayback Machine [20030801] Latest Irish News [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20030801203838/http://www.britballnow.co.uk/Irish%20News.htm [Accessed 11 October 2018]

[6] Irish American Football Association | Wayback Machine (2003) Shamrock Bowl XVII | Sunday 10th August 2003 | Dublin Rebels Defeat Carrickfergus Knights in Championship Game [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20031002151756/http://www.irish-american-football.org:80/sbxvii [Accessed 4 January 2018]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Cillian Smith, Michael Smith, Michael Brophy and Ralph Schmeer of the Irish American Football Association and Irish American Football Officials Association.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish American Football Archive

Last Updated: 20 April 2019

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2019

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.