Irish International American Football
From the first ever touring American Football teams in Ireland in the 1940s to the big NCAA College Games from the 1980s onwards to the matches played by Irish American Football teams – both club and country – against North American teams and European teams there is plenty to savour in the history of International American Football in Ireland and Irish teams overseas.
American Teams in Ireland (1942-Present)
The first ever American Football games played in Ireland were in the 1940s, when teams of US Servicemen returning from WW2 played matches in Ravenhill (Home of Ulster Rugby) and Croke Park (Home of the GAA) in aid of the Irish Red Cross. Further matches were played in the 1950s & 1960s by US Air Force Personnel stationed at US Air Bases in Britain & Germany during the Cold War. There were also during the late 1980s and up until the mid-1990s high-profile pre-season matches between NCAA College teams and one NFL match between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears. 2012 also saw the return of the high-profile NCAA games to Ireland, featuring both NCAA Division I Regular Season Matches, and also the Global Ireland Football Tournament, a series of 6 Regular Season NCAA Division III and High School matches played at a variety of venues across Ireland.
American Teams in Ireland (1942-Present)
Yearly Results, Box Scores and Players Lists
ETO and USAFE Championship Games in Ireland 1942-1973
Games by Era
American Football in Ireland | ETO, USAFE and High Schools 1942-1973
NFL & NCAA Pre-Season Games in Ireland 1988-1997
NCAA Football | Regular Season Games in Ireland 2012-2016
American High School Football Games in Ireland 2012-Present
Canadian U20 & High School Gridiron Football Teams in Ireland 2012-2013
Box-Scores and Match Reports:
NCAA College Football Classic
Christopher Columbus Classic Bowdoin Polar Bears 7 Tufts Jumbos 6 29 November 1992
Shamrock Classic Dublin – Navy Midshipmen 27 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 54 2 November 1996
Picture Credit: NFL American Bowl 1997 Official Programme – Authors’ Personal Collection
Irish Teams v American Teams (1986-Present)
In the 1980s the first Irish American Football teams were formed following the UK’s Channel 4 TV station airing a Weekly NFL Highlight Show, and matches were organised between Irish Teams and Eastern Football League (Massachusetts area) Semi-Pro Teams. Matches were also irregularly scheduled between Irish teams and US Servicemen and High schools. In 2004 the first matches between Ireland and NCAA Division III teams were organised, and in 2007 these became a regular fixture in Ireland, between Irish Club Teams and NCAA Division III teams.
Irish Teams v American Teams (1986-Present)
Irish Teams v American Teams
All Games Overview
American Football Ireland Irish Teams v USA & Canadian Teams 1985-Present
Games by Era
International American Football Irish Teams v Eastern Football League Teams 1986-1988
International American Football | Irish Teams v Canadian Semi-Pro Teams 1994-1995
American Football Ireland Irish Teams v USA & Canadian Services & Underage Teams 1993-Present
International American Football | Ireland v NCAA Division III Teams 2004-2005
International American Football | Irish Teams v NCAA Division III Teams 2007-2019
Seasons
ETO Football Championship (Seasons):
Box-Scores and Match Reports
Irish American Football League v Eastern Football League (Semi-Pro)
Green Isle All-Stars 0 Marlboro Shamrocks 36 – 29 November 1986
Dublin Celts 0 Taunton Raiders 46 – 19 April 1987
Irish American Football League v Canadian Football Teams (Semi-Pro & U22)
Carrickfergus Knights 6 Team Canada 34 – 25 August 2002
Irish American Football Association / Global Football (NCAA Division III)
William Wagner Trophy – Tallaght Outlaws 0 Claremont-McKenna Stags 67 – 19 May 2007
Picture Credit: Pexels Free Photos
European American Football (Irish Clubs & Team Ireland)
Ireland National Team
Irish teams played a series of matches against English, Scottish and Welsh teams from then until 2000, and the Nations Cup, between Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales was held from 1996-1999. In 2002 Ireland rejoined the European circuit, with the Dublin Rebels playing in the Charleroi Trophy in Belgium, an unofficial Championship for amateur Western European Champions, such as the Irish, Belgian & Dutch Leagues. From 2005-2006 Irish teams returned to playing British teams, and then in 2009 the first Atlantic Cup, an official tournament for the Champions of amateur Western European Leagues was held. Belgian, Dutch, Irish and sometimes either a Luxembourg representative or a team from the French third level competed for this European Tier 3 Trophy until 2016, when the Belgian & Dutch entrants made the step up to EFL (Tier 2) level. From 2014-present a series of matches involving Irish teams and teams from the Atlantic Fringe, such as Scotland and Iberia, have been played
Ireland National Team
Ireland
Ireland National American Football Team
Ireland National American Football Team 1986-Present
Ireland Internationals (Overviews):
European American Football | Ireland v European Teams 1995-1996
Home Nations American Football | Nations Cup 1996-2000
Four Nations American Football | Nations Cup 1996-1999 (Irish Leprechauns Results)
European Federation of American Football | Team Ireland v British Teams 2004-2006
International Federation of American Football Europe | Irish Wolfhounds v European Teams 2016-2019
Irish Club Internationals
The Dublin Celts, the first American Football team in Ireland, formed in 1984, played matches against British opposition in 1985 & 1986 due to lack of kitted opposition in Ireland. In 1986 the first Shamrock Bowl was played and the Irish American Football League was started the following year, with the Shamrock Bowl Champions winning the right to represent Ireland in the Eurobowl, the European Champions Cup. Britain was expelled from the European Football League in 1992, and Ireland left the organisation at the same time as it could not afford to play games in continental Europe. From 2014-present a series of Internationals between Ireland and Belgium and Netherlands have been played.
Irish Club Internationals
EFAF; Four Nations; IFAF Europe
European Club Internationals
European American Football Standings & Finals (Competitions with Irish Teams):
European Federation of American Football IFAF Europe Atlantic Cup Finals 2009-2017
Combined Gridiron League 1989 & NCMMA 1990
European American Football (Irish Teams Results):
International Federation of American Football Europe | European Fringe Bowls 2014-2017
European American Football | Atlantic Cup 2009-2016
European Federation of American Football | Irish Teams v English Teams 2005-2006
European Federation of American Football | Charleroi Trophy 2002-2004
Four Nations American Football | Four Nations Bowls 1992-1998
European Football League | Eurobowl 1988-1992
Four Nations American Football Irish v British Teams 1985-1990
Irish American Football League | Summer Bowl Festival 1986-1989
Irish International American Football | Capitol Bowl 1986
EFL Eurobowl: 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988
European American Football (Seasons):
IFAFE International Friendlies:2018 2016
GFLI Atlantic Cup:2015
EFAF Atlantic Cup: 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
EFAF International Friendlies:2006 2004
EFAF Charleroi Trophy:2004 2003 2002
Nations Cup:1999 1998 1997 1996
Four Nations Bowl:1992
Irish International Box-Scores
Irish International Box-Scores
Irish Wolfhounds; Charleroi Trophy
Ireland International American Football (Box-Scores & Match Reports):
Ireland Fighting Irish International Results (Box-Scores & Match Reports):
Great Britain Lions 22 Ireland Fighting Irish 0 – 17 March 1995
Ireland Fighting Irish 45 Northwest GB All-Stars 0 – 26 November 1995
Irish Leprechauns | Nations Cup (Box-Scores & Match Reports)(Seasons):
Four Nations American Football | Nations Cup Box-Score & Match Reports 1997
Team Ireland International Results (Box-Scores & Match Reports):
Ireland 6 Great Britain Bulldogs 69 | 4 September 2004Ireland 8 Coventry Jets 35 | 15 October 2006
Irish Wolfhounds International Results (Box-Scores & Match Reports):
Dutch Lions 20 Irish Wolfhounds 0 | 27 August 2016
Irish Wolfhounds 20 Belgian Barbarians 19 | 20 October 2018
Belgian Barbarians 6 Irish Wolfhounds 7 | Oct 2019
Irish Clubs Internationals (Box-Scores and Match Reports):
European Football League International Challenge Cup Game Summaries 1986-1988
EFAF Chareroi Trophy (Box-Scores & Match Reports): 2004 2003
International 8v8 American Football
International 8-Man American Football (Irish Clubs)
AFI 8-v8
American Football Association of Ireland | Wicklow Festival 8-a-side Blitz 1995
UK & Ireland Youth Kitted Football | Exhibition 1998 Box Score