American Football Ireland Helmets (42)

Irish American Football

Irish American Football

This is an All-Time Record of Irish 11v11 American Football, including All-Time Results & Standings; International Results; Irish 11v11 American Football Teams; Irish 11v11 American Football Players, Coaches & Officials; Irish American Football Records and Irish American Football Yearbooks. Please use the navigation bar above to see the record of Irish 8v8 American Football (Development Leagues; 2nds Teams; Youth Contact Football) and Flag Football.

This is the Index / Landing Page to the All-Time Results, Standings and Box-Scores of American Football Ireland 11v11 Leagues, College Bowl, Early Pre-Pads Football, Festivals, All-Star Games and Preseasons. Below you will find links to the Results & Tables of the Irish American Football League since its first year in 1986, in increasing levels of detail, depending on how much detail you want

Header Image Credit: [1] Photo by Thomas Ronveaux on Pexels.com [2] American Football Ireland Mini-Helmets by Enda Mulcahy for Eirball [3] Photo by Ricardo CL on Pexels.com [4] Photo by Jean-Daniel Francoeur on Pexels.com

American Football Ireland Premier Era

Irish American Football Association Era

In 2001, a new administration – the Irish American Football Association – re-established the Irish American Football League, as a Winter League in 2001, and a Spring League in 2002, and then in 2003 as ‘Division 1’  with an 8-Man Division 2. Divisions 1 & 2 were merged into one 11-Man, 6-team IAFL in 2004, and the League expanded to 11 teams by 2008, when a new 8-Man Development League was again re-introduced, to help newer teams starting out, and help existing clubs field second teams. the Development League became a full 11-Man Second Level in 2013, with the two tiers renamed the Shamrock Bowl Conference &  IAFL 1 Conference. A third Tier, the IAFL 2 Conference was introduced in 2014, leading to a 23-team League at its height. In 2020 the Irish American Football Association was renamed American Football Ireland, under new management, President Orla McAleese, the first Female President of the Association.

American Football Association of Ireland Era

The Irish American Football League has been running since 1986. The first Shamrock Bowl (Ireland’s Super Bowl or Title Game) was played in 1986 and the first full Irish American Football League season in 1987. For the first three seasons the League operated in Ireland only, and then in 1989 became part of the Combined Gridiron League which operated throughout Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. In 1990 the League returned to an Ireland-only league, but only in Northern Ireland, with the sole Republic of Ireland representatives, the Dublin Celts, playing in the UK Second Division (NCMMA) and playing a series of exhibition matches against the Northern Irish teams. Following on from the Irish League Final, the Champions of the Irish League played against the Dublin Celts in the Shamrock Bowl. In 1991 an All-Ireland American Football League was re-established, under the American Football association of Ireland banner, which became the Irish Senior League in 1997, under new management. This was a time when the initial excitement for the new sport faded, and the NFL was no longer on terrestrial TV in Ireland or Britain, and the number of teams dropped to 3 in 1999, and then in 2000 there was no league

American Football Ireland Division 1

American Football Ireland Division 2

American Football Ireland College

Irish American Football Overviews

Final Tables and International Results in Irish American Football & Flag Football Organised on a Season-by-Season Basis:

Pre-1984 American Football in Ireland

Starting with the US Army’s European Theater of Operations Football Championship in Northern Ireland in 1942, through to the 4th of July Festival match in 1983, held in Banbridge Rugby Club between two teams of specially trained Rugby players, American Football Leagues in Ireland pre-date the American Football Ireland (Originally Irish American Football Association) by 44 years.

American Football Ireland Festivals

Festivals and Exhibition matches have been organised since 1983, with teams playing in smaller towns in the Irish Regions, or as part of 4th of July Celebrations in both Dublin and all over the Country. Some of these festival matches have attracted up to 5,000 spectators.
Festival matches also take part in preseason, and can also be Regular Season matches or DV8 8-a-side matches.

American Football Ireland Pre-season

Preseason, like in the National Football League is an important part of player development. The Irish American Football League generally plays a two-game preseason in preparation for the 8-game regular season.

American Football Ireland All-Star Games

All Star Games have been a integral part of Irish American Football since the beginning, as in the National Football League.