Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Lurgan Area Raiders					8
Carrickfergus Knights					30

Team	Scorers	Score
LAR	Connolly 5yd Pass from Blantol, 2xpt good	8-0
CAR	Complim 30yd Pass from Graham	8-6
CAR	Woods Run	8-12
	3rd Quarter
CAR	McKenny 10yd Pass from Graham	8-18
CAR	Woods 56yd Run	8-24
CAR	Camplim 15yd Pass from Graham	8-30

Reference: [15]
[20]

Week 4

Carrickfergus Knights 13 Dublin Tornadoes 32 – Carrickfergus took a shock 13-0 lead in the first quarter with Stephen McKenny’s 63 yard Punt Return and Paul woods’ 18 yard Interception Return, but the Tornadoes stormed back for 32 unanswered points, holding the Knights to just 2 first downs.

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Dublin Tornadoes					32
Carrickfergus Knights	13	0	0	0	13

Team	Scorers	Score
	1st Quarter
CAR	McKenny 63yd Punt Return
CAR	Woods 18yd Int Return	0-13
	Quarter ??
TOR	Dennehy 50yd Run
TOR	Dennehy TD
TOR	Dennehy TD
TOR	Dennehy TD
TOR	Dennehy TD
TOR	Dennehy, 2xpt

Reference: [13]

Week 5

Dublin Tornadoes 14 Carrickfergus Knights 0 – Despite being undermanned, the Carrickfergus Knights gave the Tornadoes a real fright before eventually falling 14-0. Fullback Alan Byrne ripped through off tackle to give the Tornadoes a 6-0 halftime lead. Knights QB Wes Bell had been kept on his toes all day and struggled to find receivers. MVP Brian Dennehy scored in the third Quarter, and the final points were added by linebacker Craig Morrell who registered a safety. Dennehy now had 54 points in three games to his name at this early stage of the season. Coach Brian Sutton said he thought the team were a little over-confident coming off a big win the previous match.

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Carrickfergus Knights	0	0	0	0	0
Dublin Tornadoes					14

Team	Scorers	Score
	1st Half
TOR	Byrne Run	0-6
	3rd Quarter
TOR	Dennehy TD	0-12
TOR	C. Morrell Safety	0-14

Reference: [11]

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Lurgan Area Raiders					16
Dublin Lightning					36

Team	Scorers	Score

Week 6

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Dublin Lightning					18
Carrickfergus Knights					6

Team	Scorers	Score
	1st Quarter
LIG	Ward 70yd Pass from Goggins	6-0
LIG	Goggins 1yd Run	12-0
CAR	Bell 18yd Run	12-6
LIG	Goggins 96yd Int Return	18-6

Reference: [8]

Week 7 – 9 July 1995

Lurgan Area Raiders 0 Dublin Tornadoes 20 – The Tornadoes continued their dominance of the All-Ireland American Football League with another superb defensive display, shutting out the Lurgan Area Raiders, as Alan O’Brien (twice) and Gary Morrell scoring touchdowns, and Padraig Redmond adding a conversion to the third TD as the Tornadoes won 20-0. In the first quarter, Brian Sutton connected with Connor Leonard with a 20 yard reception, setting up Alan O’Brien for a 2 yard TD run. In the third quarter as Gary Morrell executed a sweep move to perfection, as he ran 30 yards for the second score. the Tornadoes defense meanwhile shut down the Lurgan offense, keeping them scoreless. The final score came courtesy of Alan O’Brien, yet again scoring on a short run after Phil McGown, had made an excellent interception, returning it 40 yards.

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Dublin Tornadoes					20
Lurgan Area Raiders	0	0	0	0	0

Team	Scorers	Score
	1st Quarter
TOR	O’Brien 8yd Run	6-0
	3rd Quarter
TOR	G. Morrell 12yd Run	12-0
	4th Quarter
TOR	O’Brien Run, Redmond 2xpt	20-0

Reference : [19]
[22][7]

Week 8 – 16 July 1995

Dublin Lightning 0 Dublin Tornadoes 20 – The Dublin Tornadoes remained favourites for their third Shamrock Bowl in as many years with a 20-0 whitewash of their closest rivals, the Dublin Lightning. David Grandmaison was among the scorers for the Tornadoes. but it was a bad day for the Lightning as their QB Eddie Goggins was carried off injured early on. The game was played in appalling conditions, and the match remained scoreless until the third quarter, when Gary Morrel returned a Punt 45 yards to the endzone for the opening score for the Tornadoes. QB David Grandmaison had a fine day, leading the team downfield from their own 20 yard line to the Lightning 2 yard line before going over himself for the score. Morrell hammered in the final nail with a 40 yard fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. The win made it five wins for five for the Tornadoes.

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Dublin Tornadoes	0	0			20
Dublin Lightning	0	0	0	0	0

Team	Scorers	Score
	1st Quarter
TOR	G.Morrell 45yd Punt Return	6-0
TOR	D. Grandmaison 2yd Run	12-0
	4th Quarter
TOR	G. Morrell 40yd Fumble Return, G. Morrell 2x	20-0

Reference: [18]

Week 9

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Lurgan Area Raiders
Dublin Tornadoes

Team	Scorers	Score

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Carrickfergus Knights
Dublin Lightning

Team	Scorers	Score

Week 10

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Carrickfergus Knights
Lurgan Area Raiders

Team	Scorers	Score

League Table

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pct
Dublin Tornadoes	8	8	0	0	120	19	1.000
Dublin Lightning	6	4	2	0	74	86	.667
Carrickfergus Knights	7	2	5	0	49	72	.287
Lurgan Area Raiders	7	0	7	0	14	100	.000

[2]

Playoffs – 17 September 1995

Dublin Tornadoes 60 Lurgan Area Raiders 0 –

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Lurgan Area Raiders	0	0	0	0	0
Dublin Tornadoes					60

Team	Scorers	Score

Reference: [3]

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Carrickfergus Knights					+1
Dublin Lightning					-1

Team	Scorers	Score

Shamrock Bowl X

Dublin Tornadoes 34 Carrickfergus Knights 12 – Dublin Tornadoes showed their dominance of Irish American Football, registering a perfect 10-0 season with this comprehensive win over the Carrickfergus Knights in a repeat of Shamrock Bowl IX.

The Knights took an early lead in spectacular fashion, returning the opening kickoff 85 yards to the endzone. The lead was shortlived, however, as the Tornadoes marched downfield immediately, sending Phil McGowan over from three yards out to level the scores. The Tornadoes defense held the Knights offense to just 25 yards in the second quarter, and the Dubliners took the lead for the first time.

The Tornadoes took control of the game in the second half with QB David Grandmaison and Running Back Brian Dennehy both scoring, although Carrickfergus Running Back Mark Banks became the first player to score on the Tornadoes defense all year.

The MVP award, however, went to the Tornadoes entire Offensive Line, whose crunching blocks ensured QB David Grandmaison could march downfield all day, securing the win with the final points of the day as he scramled over to make the final score 34-12 to the Dubliners, who now made it three-in-a-row.

The Dublin players wore the letters “DC” in honour of Coach Dave Curran, who had led them to the 1993 title, and who had died suddenly in November 1994, after holding an Ireland training session.

At Civil Service Grounds, Islandbridge	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Carrickfergus Knights					12
Dublin Tornadoes					34

Team	Scorers	Score
	1st Quarter
CAR	Kick Return	6-0
TOR	McGowan 3yd Run	6-6
	2nd Quarter
TOR	TD	6-12
	3rd Quarter
TOR	Grandmaison Run	6-18
TOR	Dennehy Run	6-24
CAR	Banks	12-24
TOR	Grandmaison Run	12-34

Most Valuable Player: Dublin Tornadoes Offensive Line

Report

The All-Ireland American Football League of 1995 featured four teams playing an eight game schedule each. A further five teams – Belfast Spartans, Craigavon Cowboys, Cork Steelers, Ballymena Wolfhounds and Limerick Patriots held associate membership of the League, playing a friendly schedule until they were strong enough to enter or re-enter the League. The League was administered by the American Football Association of Ireland from 1990 to 1996.

Dublin Tornadoes, two-time Shamrock Bowl champions from 1993 to 1994 finished top of the League with an 8-0 record, and were expected to win their fourth in a row in Shamrock Bowl X, and did so convincingly, triumphing 34-12 over the Carrickfergus Knights, who had shocked the Dublin Lightning in the Playoff Semi-Finals. The other Semi-Final had been a blow-out with the Tornadoes destroying the Lurgan Area Raiders 60-0. All four teams had made the Playoffs.

In the Shamrock Bowl itself the Carrckfergus Knights had opened the scoring with a kick return for touchdown, but the Tornadoes struck back with runs from McGowan, David Grandmaison and Brian Dennehy, before Carrickfergus scored their second from Banks. David Grandmaison scored his second rushing TD to finish off the scoring in the fourth.

Sources

[3] Anon (1995) Tornadoes go for three in a row. The Echo. Thursday, 21 September 1995, pg. 48.

[4] O’Brien, Alan (1995) Tornadoes breeze past Carrickfergus to claim third straight Irish title. First Down. 7 October 1995, pg. 21.

[5] Anon (1995) Standings & Fixtures – Irish League. First Down. 29 July 1995, pg. 21.

[6] Anon (1995) Standings & Fixtures – Irish League. First Down. 15 July 1995, pg. 18.

[7] Anon (1995) Irish Update – Tearaway Tornadoes. First Down. 15 July 1995, pg. 18.

[8] Anon (1995) Standings & Fixtures – Irish League. First Down. 1 July 1995, pg. 21.

[9] Anon (1995) Irish League. First Down. 1 July 1995, pg. 21.

[10] Anon (1995) Standings & Fixtures – Irish League. First Down. 24 June 1995, pg. 21.

[11] Anon (1995) Irish League Round-Up – Tornadoes wake up from Knight-mare performance. First Down. 24 June 1995, pg. 21.

[12] Anon (1995) Standings & Fixtures – Irish League. First Down. 17 June 1995, pg. 21.

[13] Anon (1995) Irish League Round-Up – Tornadoes turn up heat. First Down. 17 June 1995, pg. 21.

[14] Anon (1995) Standings & Fixtures – Irish League. First Down. 10 June 1995, pg. 21.

[15] Anon (1995) Irish League Round-Up – Graham’s Five Alive. First Down. 10 June 1995, pg. 21.

[16] Anon (1995) * The Irish League… First Down. 3 June 1995, pg. 18.

[17] Anon (1995) Standings & Fixtures – Irish League. First Down. 15 July 1995, pg. 18.

[18] Anon (1995) Tornadoes smash county rivals. The Echo. Thursday, 20 July 1995, pg. 48.

[19] Anon (1995) Tornadoes blow Lurgan away. The Echo. Thursday, 13 July 1995, pg. 48.

[20] Anon (1995) Tornadoes on the rampage. The Echo. Thursday, 15 June 1995, pg. 46.

[21] Naughton, Lindie (1995) American Football Evening Herald Thursday, June 8, 1995. Pg. 68

[22] Naughton, Lindie (1995) American Football Evening Herald Thursday, July 13, 1995. Pg. 79

[23] Naughton, Lindie (1995) American Football Evening Herald Thursday, July 27, 1995. Pg. 71

Websites:

[24] Dublin Tornadoes (1996) Irish American Football League 1995: The League Schedule ’95 / Results in ’95 [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/19961115060654/http://fiachra.ucd.ie/~alan/american_football.html#main_menu [Accessed 5 July 2017]

Internet Archive

[2] Dublin Tornadoes (1996) Irish American Football League 1995: The League Schedule ’95 / Results in ’95 [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/19961115060654/http://fiachra.ucd.ie/~alan/american_football.html#main_menu [Accessed 5 July 2017]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Cillian Smith, Michael Smith and Ralph Schmeer of the Irish American Football Association and Irish American Football Officials Association, and Sean Douglas, Dublin Rebels.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 2 July 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

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