Category: Ireland National Team

May 16, 2020October 29, 2023

Four Nations American Football International Friendly – Great Britain Lions 22 Ireland Fighting Irish 0 – 17 March 1995

17 March 1995 – Saffron Lane, Leicester, England.

Great Britain Lions 22 Ireland Fighting Irish 0

The Ireland Fighting Irish, playing in their first Full International went down 22-0 to the Great Britain Lions, who scored on two passing plays to Mark Cohen & Joe Greenidge before sacking the Irish QB for a Safety.

The GB Lions added a run from Nigel Flemming to make it 22-0 at the end.

The 1995 Irish squad was chosen after trials in November 1995. Tragically, Irish CoachDave Curran, died only hours after the trials in Belfast and Dublin. Coach Curran had been Offensive Co-Ordinator for the Ireland team, and had previously been a coach for 25 years in America, and had been Head Coach of both the Dublin Celts and Dublin Tornadoes, both multiple Shamrock Bowl winners.

This was the first International Match without Coach Curran, and took place in Leicester, on St. Patrick’s Day, 17 March 1995.

At Saffron Lane, Leicester, England	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Irish Leprechauns					0
Great Britain Bulldogs					22

Great Britain Bulldogs 22 Ireland Fighting Irish 0 Box-Score 18 March 1995 Reference: [2]

Team	Scorers	Score
GB	Mark Cohen 28 yd TD Rec from Ian Ure (XP no good)	0-6
GB	Joe Greenidge 4yd TD Rec from ?? (Kevin Hurst XP Kick)	0-13
GB	Safety – Dave Samuel sacked Irish QB in endzone	0-15
GB	Nigel Flemming 9yd TD Run (Rex Harrisson XP Kick)	0-22

Irish-Leprechauns-0-GB-Lions-22-1995-David-Sweetman

GB Lions 22 Ireland 0 (Photo courtesy David Sweetman)[3]

Ireland Roster 1995

Player	Position	Team
Offense
Patrick Cullen	Quarterback	Craigavon Cowboys
Brian Sutton	Quarterback	Dublin Tornadoes
Eddie Goggins	Quarterback	Bath Gladiators (Eng)
Phil McGowan	Running Back	Dublin Tornadoes
Mark Banks	Running Back	Carrickfergus Knights
G Woods	Running Back	Rockingham Rebels (Eng)
Liam McManus	Running Back	Rockingham Rebels (Eng)
Micky Coleman	Running Back	Rockingham Rebels (Eng)
G Graham	Tight End	Carrickfergus Knights
Padraig Reddington	Tight End	Dublin Tornadoes
Mark Hafferty	Wide Receiver	Belfast Spartans
Mark Rutherford	Wide Receiver	Dublin Tornadoes
Leigh Kelly	Wide Receiver	London Rockets (Eng)
Brian Dennehy	Wide Receiver	Dublin Tornadoes
Neil Callahan	Offensive Line	Craigavon Cowboys
Phil Woodyard	Offensive Line	Dublin Tornadoes
Denis Soroghan	Offensive Line	Dublin Tornadoes
Alan O’Brien	Offensive Line	Dublin Tornadoes
Brian McEvilly	Offensive Line	Dublin Celts
Richard Earl	Offensive Line	Redbridge Fire (Eng)
Eamonn Dunleavy	Offensive Line	London Rockets (Eng)
Gerry McManus	Offensive Line	Birmingham Bulls (Eng)
Defense
Terry Beattie	Defensive Line	Belfast Spartans
John Jones	Defensive Line	Dublin Tornadoes
Gareth Boyd	Defensive Line	Cardiff University (Wal)
Martin Rogers	Defensive Line	Dublin Celts
Tom Cregg	Defensive Line	Milton Keynes Pioneers (Eng)
N McCabe	Defensive Line
R McCabe	Defensive Line
E Quinlavin	Defensive Line
Mark Harris	Linebacker	Carrickfergus Knights
Danny O’Callaghan	Linebacker	Dublin Tornadoes
Paul Clark	Linebacker	Dublin Tornadoes
Robbie Walker	Linebacker	Carrickfergus Knights
Kevin Duffy	Linebacker	Southern Seminloes (Eng)
Mark Elsden	Linebacker	Rockingham Rebels (Eng)
David McGrath	Defensive Back	Dublin Tornadoes
Connor Leonard	Defensive Back	Dublin Tornadoes
Andrew Mitchell	Defensive Back	Brighton B-52s (Eng)
Tony Hennessy	Defensive Back	Rockingham Rebels (Eng)
Paddy Paterson	Defensive Back	Craigavon Cowboys
Erin Maxwell	Defensive Back	Carrickfergus Knights
Mark Devlin	Defensive Back	Lurgan Area Raiders

Ireland National American Football Team Roster 1995 References :[1; 5]

Coaches

Coach / Manager	Name
Head Coach	Kurt Smeby
Assistant Coach	Staurt Smith
Assistant Coach	Mark Gayton
Assistant Coach	Tom Smith
Assistant Coach	Eddie Kelly
Assistant Coach	Brian Sutton
Assistant Coach	Francis Loughlin
Manager	Doug Platten
Manager	Dave Wakefield

Ireland National American Football Team Coaches & Managers 1995 References :[1; 5]

References

Internet Archive

[1] Dublin Tornadoes (1997) History of the Team [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/19970618100359/http://fiachra.ucd.ie/~alan/tornado.html [Accessed 20 March 2018]

Websites

[2] Britball Now (2016) 1992-1995 GB Lions [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/history-index/gb-lions-historical-index/1992-5-gb-lions.html[Accessed 12 November 2019]

[3] Britball Now (2016) GB Lions 22 Ireland 0 [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/_Media/1995gbvirelanddavidsweefz4_med.jpeg [Accessed 12 November 2019]

Newspapers

[4] Hubbuck, Colin (1994) “Irish Tragedy: Offensive boss Curran dies hours after national trials” First Down. November 5, 1994. pg. 22

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 American Football Archive

Last Updated: 16 May 2020

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September 23, 2019October 29, 2023

International Federation of American Football Europe | Belgian Barbarians 6 Irish Wolfhounds 7 | Box-Score & Match Report Oct 2019

Irish Wolfhounds Logo [2]

Oct 2019

@Ostend, Belgium	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Irish Wolfhounds	0	0	7	0	7
Belgian Barbarians	6	0	0	0	6
Scorers					Score
1st Quarter
BEL – Eric-Junior Hiernaux 80 yd TD Pass from QB Tomasz Firszt (XP No good)					0-6
2nd Quarter
No Scoring					0-6
3rd Quarter
IRL – Jonathan Siri 5 yd TD Run (Marty Caskey XP Kick good)					7-6
4th Quarter
No Scoring					7-6

Reference: [1]

Report

On a bright evening in Ostend, the Belgian Barbarians were hoping to gain revenge for defeat to Ireland by 20-19 a year previously.

Ireland received the ball to start the game with aggresive running from RB Jonathan Siri unfortunately undone by offensive errors. Irish wolfhounds punter Tom Donovan pinned the Belgian offense deep in their own territory, however, they sprung loose on an 80 Touchdown pass from QB Tomasz Firszt to Eric-Junior Hiernaux to open the scoring. Wolfhounds Linebacker Spencer McDowell blocked the extra point kick, however, to leave the score 6-0 to Belgium.

Pentalties and mental mistakes proved costly in a slow quarter for the the Wolfhounds, with injuries to starters LT John McDonald & Wide Receiver Sean McGoldrick, meaning replacements had little time to get up to speed.

Irish Wolfhounds continued with a heavy running game, but penalties continued to marr any offensive territory gained.Tom Donovan continued to give the Irish great field position with some big punts.

The Irish defense continued to shut down the Belgian offense, which persisted with a option run and screen pass plays. A long Irish Wolfhounds pass to WR Jahn Dasini was called back for holding at the line of scrimmage. The halftimde score remained 6-0.

Irish fortunes picked up in the third quarter, as another screen pass from the Belgians, was read perfectly by Irish Defensive Tackle Paddy Sweeney and intercepted, returning it 10 yards to the Belgian 25 yard line.

McMahon and Siri combined with strong runs to bring the ball to the 5 yard line, with a 4th Down and 1 yard to go scenario seeing Siri not only get the first down, but also run in for a Touchdown, with some great blocking by Center Dave Shaw and Right Guard Hassan Jaafar. Marty Caskey slotted the extra point to put Ireland 7-6 up.

The rest of the third quarter saw the offensive stalemate of the first half continue. with fresh legs in Ben Arulogun & Chris Carson, the Irish found gaps in a tiring Belgian line, but the drive ended at the Belgian 20 yard line.

The Belgians were forced to try deep passes downfield and one was intercepted by Free Safety Alex Kusmirek, giving the Irish a chance to finish the game off, taking over on the 20 yard line of the Belgians.

The Irish needed one first down to close out the game but unfortunately came up short and Belgium took over with 90 seconds left. The Belgians managed two first downs, causing hearts to miss a beat in the Irish camp, but Spencer McDowell managed to force QB Firszt into a deep pass into the endzone on a blitz, which was chop blocked by the Belgian RB, with the resulting penalty putting Belgium out of Hail Mary range.

The subsequent play saw a Belgian WR tackled in-bounds on a 10 yard screen pass, and time expired, giving the Irish Wolfhounds a 7-6 victory.

Reference: [1]

Reference

_______________________________________________________

[1] Irish American Football association – Irish Wolfhounds (2019) Irish Wolfhounds 7 @ Belgian Barbarians 6 [Internet] Available from: https://www.irishwolfhounds.ie/event/irish-wolfhounds-belgian-barbarians/ [Accessed 23 September 2019]

[2] Irish American Football association – Irish wolfhounds (2019) Irish Wolfhounds Logo[Internet] Available from: https://www.irishwolfhounds.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/www-favicon.png [Accessed 23 September 2019]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Sean Douglas (UCD & Ireland)

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish American Football Archive

Last Updated: 20 May 2019

July 2, 2019October 29, 2023

International Federation of American Football Europe | International Friendly | Irish Wolfhounds 20 Belgian Barbarians 19 | 20 October 2018

International Federation of American Football Europe Logo

Navan, Co. Meath, 20 October 2018

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Belgian Barbarians	13	0	0	6	19
Irish Wolfhounds	0	6	7	7	20
Scorers					Score
1st Quarter
BEL – Tomasz Firszt 5yd Run (PAT missed)					6-0
BEL – Hadrien Godichild Int Return (PAT good)					13-0
2nd Quarter
IRL – Sean McGoldrick Pass from Andy Dennehy					13-6
3rd Quarter
IRL – Sean McGoldrick Pass from Andy Dennehy (Marty Caskey – XP Kick)					13-13
4th Quarter
IRL – Pete McMahon Run (PAT good)					13-20
BEL – Thomas Bouron Pass from Tomasz Firszt (2XP no good)					19-20

Reference

_______________________________________________________

Websites

[1] American Football International – Scott Morrow (2018) Ireland defeat Belgium for first International victory in late-game thriller [Internet] Available from: http://www.americanfootballinternational.com/ireland-defeat-belgium-for-first-international-victory-in-late-game-thriller/?fbclid=IwAR2EYLaLhN58UF7jYgfakXPmN3vPjTAp4pHxPQToPrBn0B8_v9JHwVyYBrA [Accessed 31 October 2018]

Social Media

[2] Irish American Football Association Facebook Page (2018) Post: October 20, 2018 – “IRELAND WIN!! 20-19,” [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/iafaireland/posts/2145681338799088 [Accessed 22 October 2018]

[3] Belgian Barbarians Facebook Page (2018) Post: October 20, 2018 – “Halftime.

The Barbarians came out blazing putting 13-0 on the board in no time. Ireland bounced back making it 13-6 after the two first quarters.

Go Barbarians!!!” [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/BarbariansBelgium/posts/1962202913839533 [Accessed 31 October 2018]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Sean Douglas, Team Ireland.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 2 July 2019

July 2, 2019October 29, 2023

European Federation of American Football | International Friendly | Ireland 6 Great Britain Bulldogs 69 | 4 September 2004

Moorways Stadium, Derby, England, 4 September 2004

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Ireland	0	6	0	0	6
Great Britain Bulldogs	20	21	16	12	69
Scorers					Score
1st Quarter
GB – #88 6yd Pass from ?, #2 1xpt					0-7
GB – ##11 14yd Run, #2 1xpt					0-14
GB – #35 5yd Run					0-20
2nd Quarter
GB – #83 34yd Pass, #2 1xpt					0-27
GB – #7 46yd Pass					0-33
GB – #24 26yd Pass, #85 2xpt					0-41
IRL – Dave Wheeler 7yd Run					6-47
3rd Quarter
GB – #33 5yd Run					6-47
GB – #31 19yd Run, #2 1xpt					6-54
GB – #2 33yd Field Goal					6-57
4th Quarter
GB – #17 50yd Punt Return					6-63
GB – #17 47yd Punt Return					6-69

Referece: [1]

Reference

_______________________________________________________

Websites

[1] Irish American Football Association (2004) IRELAND 6 GREAT BRITAIN BULLDOGS 69 [Internet] Available from: http://www.americanfootbal.ie/iafl/irlgb04.htm [Accessed 25 October 2017]

Images

[1] American Football International (2013) EFAF Logo [Internet] Available from: http://www.americanfootballinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/EFAF_logo.gif [Accessed 30 August 2017]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Sean Douglas, Team Ireland.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 2 July 2019

July 2, 2019October 29, 2023

European Federation of American Football | International Friendly | Ireland 8 Coventry Jets 35 | 15 October 2006

Celtic Classic III Logo [3]

15 October 2006

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Ireland	0	0	0	8	8
Coventry Jets	7	14	7	7	35
Scorers					Score
1st Quarter
COV – Anthony Perkins Run					0-7
2nd Quarter
COV – Mark Cohen Pass from Tim Spaull ??					0-14
COV – Mark Cohen Pass from Tim Spaull					0-21
3rd Quarter
COV – Jeremy Simms ??					0-28
4th Quarter
IRL – Sam Hodgins Run, Simon Mackey 2xpt					8-28
COV – Jeremy Simms Pass from Tim Spaull					8-35

References: [2]

Report

Ireland put in one of their best performances in years against the Coventry Jets, ranked among the top teams in Europe, and the current British Division 1A Champions. The Jets roster included several British Internationals and players with Professional experience.

Erin Wagner was named Team Ireland MVP, picking up some first downs on offense and making some great tackles on defense. Former NFL Europe star Mark Cohen scored two touchdowns, and made several first down receptions, proving the game-winner for Coventry. Other Jets scorers were Running Back Anthony Perkins and Coventry’s 2006 MVP Jeremy Simms.

Perkins made a number of first down runs in the first quarter before scoring the opening touchdown midway through the quarter. Team Ireland responded with an 80-yard drive that got them to the 6-yard line with Simon Mackey, Chris Flynn & Erin Wagner picking up first downs, however, the Jets defense managed to keep Ireland out of the endzone.

The Jets added two touchdowns in the second quarter, one set up by a spectacular sideline catch inside the 5-yard line by Mark Cohen, and the other was a reception from Cohen from QB Tim Spaull after both he and Irish cornerback Willie Coyne both came down with their hands on the ball in the endzone. The Irish had another long drive behind QB Andrew Dennehy in the second quarter but were stopped on fourth down.

The Irish defense stepped up in the second half, with several tackles on the Coventry offense for a loss of yardage, James Kay, Chris Weir, Erin Wagner, Glen Carr and Kenny Hudson all making tackles. The Jets, however, got the ball within scoring range after recovering a fumble. Roxss McCooey came close to making an interception for Ireland, but the Jets scored a few plays later.

Ireland appeared to get stronger as the gamde wore on, and the Jets kept their star players, Cohen, Simms, and defensive Captain Adrian Newey on the field for the fourth quarter. Simon Buggle was now Ireland Quarterback, and he ut together a drive which finished with a scoring run inside from Sam Hodgins on a first-and-goal. Team Ireland also forced a fumble which was recovered by Darragh Farrell for the the turnover.

The Jets got their final TD in the fourth qyarter, when QB Tim Spaull who also played on the GB Lions International team, threw a long touchdown pass to Jeremy Simms. Ireland forced another turnover followingthis as Willie Coyne recovered a muffed punt and sprinted into the endzone for an apparent score, however, the referees ruled that the punter never had full possession of the ball so it couldn’t be advanced. Ireland, however, regained possession.

Coventry Running Back Anthony Perkins takes a Hand-Off Against the Team Ireland Defense [4]

Reference

_______________________________________________________

Internet Archive

[2] Dublin Dragons (2006) Team Ireland 8 Coventry Cassidy Jets 35 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20071117035949/http://www.dublindragons.com/e107/news.php?extend.20 [Accessed 31 October 2017]

Images

[1] American Football International (2013) EFAF Logo [Internet] Available from: http://www.americanfootballinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/EFAF_logo.gif [Accessed 30 August 2017]

[3] Dublin Dragons (2006) Celtic Classic III Team Ireland v Coventry Cassidy Jets Logo [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20071117035949im_/http://www.dublindragons.com/e107/e107_images/2006/Classic3.jpg [Accessed 22 November 2019]

[4] Dublin Dragons (2006) Coventry Running Back Anthony Perkins Takes a Hand-Off Agianst Team Ireland Defense [Internet] Available from:https://web.archive.org/web/20071117035949im_/http://www.dublindragons.com/e107/e107_images/2006/cc31.jpg [Accessed 22 November 2019]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Sean Douglas, Team Ireland.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 2 July 2019

July 2, 2019October 29, 2023

Irish Leprechauns | International American Football Team | 1995 Roster

Roster 1995

Player	Position	Team
Offense
Tight End	Padraig Reddington	Dublin Tornadoes
Fullback	Phil McGowan	Dublin Tornadoes
Fullback	Alan Byrne	Dublin Tornadoes
Halfback	Brian Dennehy	Dublin Tornadoes
Center	Denis Soroghan	Dublin Tornadoes
Right Guard	Alan O’Brien	Dublin Tornadoes
Defense
Danny O’Callaghan	Outside Linebacker	Dublin Tornadoes
Danny Grandmaison	Strong Safety	Dublin Tornadoes
Cornerback	Dave McGrath	Dublin Tornadoes

References :[1]

References

______________________________________________________________________________

Internet Archive

[1] Dublin Tornadoes (1997) History of the Team [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/19970618100359/http://fiachra.ucd.ie/~alan/tornado.html [Accessed 20 March 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 World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 2 July 2019

May 15, 2019October 29, 2023

American Football Nations Cup 1998

Table

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pts
*Scotland	2	2	0	0	86	14	4
England	2	1	1	0	33	38	2
Wales	3	1	2	0	44	83	2
Ireland	1	0	1	0	6	34	0

Compiled from: [1]

Results

Date	Home Team		Away Team
	Wales	8	Scotland	50
	England	27	Wales	2
27.09.98	Scotland	36	England	6
	Wales	34	Ireland	6

[1]

Report

__________________________________________________________________________

From 1996-2000 the Nations Cup was held between the National American Football teams of the four Atlantic Isles Nations: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The series started in 1996 with a home-and-away series between Scotland and Ireland. The 1997 was the first official edition and featured Ireland, Scotland and Wales only, and the 2000 edition was a single game between England and Scotland. The 1998 and 1999 editions featured all four Atlantic Isles nations.

Bibliography

Websites

[1] Britball Now (2018) Complete History of the Game in the UK – 1996-2000: The Game hits rock bottom [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/history-index/complete-history-of-the/1996-to-2000—uk-hits-rock.html [Accessed 12 May 2018]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Cillian Smith, Michael Smith and Michael Brophy 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: 24 June 2018

May 15, 2019October 29, 2023

American Football Nations Cup 1997

Table

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pts
*Scotland	2	2	0	0	79	12	4
Ireland	2	1	1	0	46	51	2
Wales	2	0	2	0	26	78	0

Compiled from :[1]

Results

Date	Home Team		Away Team
05.04.97	Wales	20	Ireland	40
07.09.97	Ireland	6	Scotland	31
05.10.97	Scotland	38	Wales	6

[1]

Report

__________________________________________________________________________

Bibliography

Websites

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Cillian Smith, Michael Smith and Michael Brophy 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: 15 May 2019

May 15, 2019October 29, 2023

American Football Nations Cup 1996

Table

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pts
*Scotland	2	2	0	0	34	9	4
Ireland	3	1	2	0	30	34	2
Wales	1	0	1	0	0	21	0

Compiled from: [1]

Results

Date	Home Team		Away Team
	Scotland	20	Ireland	6
	Ireland	3	Scotland	14
	Ireland	21	Wales	0

[1]

Report

__________________________________________________________________________

Bibliography

Websites

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Cillian Smith, Michael Smith and Michael Brophy 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: 15 May 2019

Pos	Team	W	L	Pct	PF	PA	Net Pts
1	Belfast Blitzers	9	1	0.900	449	47	402
2	Dublin Tornadoes	6	4	0.600	121	164	-43
3	Carrickfergus Cougars	4	6	0.400	99	126	-27
4	Coleraine Chieftains	1	9	0.100	58	234	-176
5	East Side Jets	1	9	0.100	10	284	-274

Date	Event	Time/Results	Venue	Article	Match Day
1987-09-12 06:09:23September 12, 1987	Belfast Blitzers vs Craigavon Cowboys	20 - 28		Recap	Semi-Finals
1987-09-13 14:00:10September 13, 1987	Dublin Celts vs Belfast Giants	43 - 0	Drogheda Rugby Club, Drogheda, Co. Louth	Recap	Semi-Finals
1987-09-26 15:00:18September 26, 1987	Dublin Celts vs Craigavon Cowboys	43 - 25	North Rugby Club, Ormeau Road, Belfast	Recap	Shamrock Bowl II