Month: July 2014

IAFL1 Week 18 Review

Meath Bulldogs 28 – 16 Drogheda Lightning

The Meath Bulldogs came away from Navan RFC with a hard fought victory over the Drogheda Lightning. The fact that the game was tied at 16 at half time shows how much of a battle this game was.

Bulldogs’ running back Pete McMahon scored three touchdowns on the day, along with a successful 2-pt conversion whilst fellow running back Barry Lorton also rushed in a 2-pt.

The Lightning wouldn’t allow Meath to run away with the game, putting up points themselves through Mick O’Shea, who bounced off four tackles on his way to the end zone for an impressive score, and Craig McCormack, who scored his first senior touchdown as well as wrapping up the Lightnings’ game MVP.

But Meath’s stand-in quarterback Steve McDonnell rounded off the scoring with a passing score to Mark McCabe.


This article has been syndicated from Double Coverage and any opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinion of IAFA. Any references to non-IAFA websites are provided for convenience only and do not in any manner serve as an endorsement of those websites.

SBC Semi-Final Review

We have our Shamrock Bowl contestants!

Belfast Trojans 28 – 6 University of Limerick Vikings

The defending champions, the Belfast Trojans, booked their place in the Shamrock Bowl final for the third consecutive season by defeating the University of Limerick Vikings in what can be described as nothing less than a battle!

Each team came into the game after impressing throughout the regular season, but there was only one goal in mind for these sides; to reach the Bowl game. Everyone knew this match would be a close one, but nobody could predict that it would be decided late in the fourth quarter.

The match was on a knife-edge from the beginning, with both teams coming up with huge defensive stops as the game swung back and forth throughout the first quarter. The Trojans got the first score of the game however, as kicker Rick Duffield converted a field goal to give the Belfast side a marginal 3-0 lead going into the break.

The Vikings started the brightest in the second half and their efforts were rewarded when a play action pass fooled the Trojans defence and receiver, Gavan Duffy reeled in a deep pass from Alvaro Martinez to put UL 6-3 up after the failed PAT. With the game entering the fourth quarter tensions were getting high and neither team was prepared to give up their place in the final.

In a breathtaking 12 minutes, the Trojans turned the match on its head. First, Defensive Tackle, Patrick McElkerney made arguably the game changing tackle when he sacked the Vikings’ Glen Carr and recovered the fumble.

With the resulting drive, receiver David Richardson caught a deep pass from quarterback James McKelvey to give the Trojans excellent field position, and it was left to Running Back, Dave Colvin to rush in for a touchdown that would regain the lead for the Belfast men. With that, the momentum greatly turned in the Trojans favour. The Vikings began to chase the game, as they had to in the late stages, and as a result Colvin punished them with another two touchdowns, including a 50-yard scamper that he would take untouched to the end zone.

As the game entered the final stages, there was still time for safety, Matt Armstrong to return a ‘Pick 6’ all the way to the house to give the Trojans the victory with a 28-6 score line.

The Vikings fought tooth and nail throughout the four quarters, and the result doesn’t do justice for their efforts on the day. The champions knew they were in for a tough game, and the Vikes made them work hard for the victory. The Trojans will now take on Trinity College in the final as they defeated the Rebels, 47-8 in the other semi final that took place at Westmanstown. Can the Trojans win their third National Championship?

Trinity College Dublin 47 – 8 Dublin Rebels

With Trinity College and the Dublin Rebels kicking off the second semi-final, both sides knew that a win would book them a place in the Shamrock Bowl final against the reigning champions, the Belfast Trojans. The Rebels, playing in yet another semi-final, hoped that a victory would give them the opportunity to potentially claim their 8th National Championship, whilst Trinity College had their heart set on making their first ever Shamrock Bowl appearance.

This game was predicted to be close affair with two of the leagues best running backs, Simon Mackey and Rob McDowell pitting their talents against one another. The hype surrounding these two had been brewing nicely in the weeks leading to the encounter, but only one man would come out victorious.

As early as the opening kickoff, Rob McDowell did what he does best and scored a 100-yard return to give Trinity College an early 6-0 lead. From then on, it was one-way traffic. After recovering a fumble, Trinity extended their lead when McDowell rushed in again to give the students a 13-0 lead as the first quarter ended.

The second quarter started similar to the first, as McDowell again ran in from 4 yards to increase Trinity’s lead as the Rebels were still struggling to get a foothold in the game. It began to get worse for 7 time champions, as another fumble was recovered and taken to the house by David Lunn for a defensive touchdown. Rob McDowell added his fourth touchdown of the game soon after, this time with a 90 yard return before Quarterback, Dan Finnamore found receiver Daniel Murphy in the end zone for a 35 yard passing reception to give Trinity a commanding 41-0 lead at half time.

With the game getting away from them, The Rebels knew their second half performance needed to be something special. They managed to get on the score sheet when QB Andrew Dennehy passed to Chris Purdy who ran the remaining 20-yards for the touchdown, with Peter Keeley adding the extra 2 points. Any hope of a miraculous comeback by the Rebels was well and truly diminished when a further score by Ola Bademosi completed the touchdown overhaul for the students. Connor McGinn kicked 5 PAT’s throughout the game to give Trinity an emphatic 47-8 over the Rebels.

The Rebels have had an impressive year after making it to yet another Shamrock Bowl semi final. By defeating the Knights in the wildcard round, and playing an exhibition game against American side, Centre College, the Rebels have done themselves proud for their efforts this year. Expect them to be challenging among the elite teams again next term. Meanwhile, Trinity will now take part in their first ever Bowl appearance, when they take on The Belfast Trojans on August 10th. Trinity prevailed in the last meeting between these sides, but expect a fantastic game between the leagues best two teams this year.


This article has been syndicated from Double Coverage and any opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinion of IAFA. Any references to non-IAFA websites are provided for convenience only and do not in any manner serve as an endorsement of those websites.

Trinity & Belfast to meet in Shamrock Bowl XXVIII

Trinity College Dublin and Belfast Trojans will contest the Shamrock Bowl in Tallaght Stadium on 10th August. Both teams won their semi-final match-ups against the Dublin Rebels and UL Vikings respectively.

Having lost only one game between them this season, we have the makings of an exciting final. In the past 14 months, they have faced each other twice in competitive games, winning one each. Both teams were also finalists in the EFAF Atlantic Cup in 2013.

Semi-Final Results:

Belfast Trojans 28-6 UL Vikings

Trinity College 47-8 Dublin Rebels

Shamrock Bowl Semi-Final Preview

Belfast Trojans vs. University of Limerick Vikings

Well these two are building up quite the post season rivalry aren’t they? A rematch of last year’s semi-final and the previous year’s Shamrock Bowl game itself, this game has all the makings of a classic.

The Vikings will be itching for revenge, having lost out on those two occasions but it’s not going to be easy, as they’ll be going up against a hungry Belfast Trojans looking to make a threepeat on the Championship.

The Northerners have wrapped up the Bowl for the last two years, unbeaten on both occasions, but this year is a little different. They no longer stand upon a pedestal and above everybody else in the League. They tasted defeat, to Trinity, for the first time since the play-offs in 2011, and they’ll be sure to want another crack at the students for revenge and to show they’re still the big boys to beat in Ireland.

The Vikings have been lurking in the long grass for much of the year. They have a lot of first year players and tasted disappointing defeat to TCD on their first game of the season before having their hearts broken by the Rebels in the dying seconds of their second game. But from there on in it’s been plain sailing for UL. The team has bowled over their seven opponents since and remain unbeaten since March, mixing a dynamic offence with a powerful defence. They truly are dark horses in this final 4, and could certainly cause an upset not only here in the semi-final, but also in the Bowl game.

Players to watch

Belfast
Everybody. Seriously. This team has unreal talent from quarterback James McKelvey who is dangerous with his passing arm and his feet, running backs David Colvin, Neil Montgomery and Alex Newton, who can all be incredibly dangerous in their own ways and receivers David Richardson, Fu Faapito and Andrew Wright. Their offensive line only adds to their prowess whilst on defence the line is menacing, with Patrick McElkerney and Teddy Canty causing all kinds of problems to O-lines this year.

In the middle of the park the linebacking corps is full of talent, with Neil Graham and Connor Whitla racking up tackles this year, whilst Rob Lyttle will be eager to impress after missing much of the year.

In the secondary, Jon-Erik Talvio has been impressive, scoring two pick sixes in his debut IAFL year, whilst Chris Mikhael has continued to dominate from the defensive back position.

UL
The Vikings have had a few players come and go this year but the core group of talent remains and is going to pose a danger to the Trojans. Long-standing quarterback Marc Ashworth is gone, but in his place is the experienced Glen Carr, who has performed admirably by passing for four TDs and rushing for another during the remainder of the regular season. His hurdle on the run over a player during the year earned him the nickname “Air”, an impressive feat for a 285lb former lineman!

Carr’s weapons on offence remain much the same as the past few years with Sean Goldrick and Adrian Garvey continuing to wreak havoc. Sean Sheehy’s work on offence and on special teams also makes him a dangerous player whilst the emerging talent of rookie tight end Jake Kelly has been a feather in the cap of a high octane UL offence.

On defence the Vikings’ front 7 is probably the most feared in Irish football. Featuring Eoin Whelan (back after missing the wildcard game), Shane Gleeson, John Mullen and Ian Cahill, the defensive line has piled up the sacks and tackles this campaign whilst being backed up by an impressive linebacker corps. They play as a unit and will be tough to break down. Watching the Trojan offence and the Viking defence is going to be one of the highlights of the season for sure.

Trinity College Dublin vs. Dublin Rebels

This game has been billed as the “Mackdowell Bowl” by many people around the League on social networks (you’ve no doubt seen the Gary Sommerville video by now, and if you haven’t you really need to watch it for some tongue-in-cheek fun from the Rebels’ legendary wide receiver). And sure, Simon Mackey and Rob McDowell will be two highlights of this game. But it’s so much more than those two players.

The game is another rematch from last year’s semi-finals, one which the Rebels came out as victors. This year however, Trinity come into the bout as undefeated SBC South Champions, standing tall with an 8-0 record and entering the playoffs as number 1 seeds, ahead of the Belfast Trojans, whose undefeated streak was ended by the students in an emphatic 18-0 victory at Deramore Park earlier in the year.

Last year the Rebels probably entered as slight favourites. This year they’ll go into the game as underdogs. Their 7&1 season was impressive for sure, their only loss coming against the Trojans, and they have all the talent to go all the way, but Trinity’s offence has been impossible to stop for any team thus far in 2014. Can the most successful team in IAFL history halt TCD and head to the Bowl yet again?

Players to watch

Trinity College Dublin
Of course Rob McDowell. The running back has 17 total touchdowns, 16 along the ground and one on special teams. His speed and ability to find a gap and his agility to get through it untouched makes McDowell one of the most feared players in the League.

He’ll be backed up on offence by a high powered passing game led by young quarterback Dan Finnamore. Out of the Russell Kerley school of quarterbacking at the Drogheda Lightning, Finnamore has had a fine debut Shamrock Bowl season, passing for more touchdowns than any other quarterback (18) and finding 6 different receivers for scores. Daniel Murphy, David Lunn and Stephen Alexander have stepped up extremely well as receivers, aiding their quarterback with useful yards after the catch on every reception.

The offensive line has size, agility and excellent technique, protecting Finnamore well in the pocket and making the gaps that allow McDowell to do his job.

On defence Trinity have a dominant defensive line, with Eoghan Hurley and German Velderrain both picking up points for the team this year. Meanwhile, Alex Gurnee, who plays linebacker as well as tight end on offence, often makes a menace of himself, and will be one to watch on the defensive side of the ball.

Dublin Rebels
Simon Mackey. The top scorer in the Shamrock Bowl Conference this year is not only a danger on offence but a menace from defensive end too, on the occasions he plays on defence. His ability to break tackles or to just carry would-be tacklers along with him make him a very difficult player to halt. If he wants to go to the end zone, he tends to find his way there.

Along with Mackey, the Rebels’ offence is loaded. Andrew Dennehy is one of the most experienced and gifted quarterbacks in the Irish game. He has been to the Bowl game multiple times and knows what it takes and what it means to lift that trophy.

His receiving corps includes Chris Purdy and Peter Keely along with the tight end partners, Paul Grogan and Ciaran O’Toole, all of whom are incredibly dangerous targets for Dennehy to pick out just as a defence is beginning to press on Mackey too much.

But Dennehy will be the first to talk up the offensive line. The Rebels’ OL is fearsome, and they protect their quarterback well as well as opening the lanes for Mackey to run into.

On defence Marcus Naylor, Steve Walsh and Kevin Finnegan have over 40 years experience of playing the game between them. You cannot buy that experience, and it will come in useful when they line up alongside the Rebels’ many rookies and first year defensive players. Watch out for Finnegan in particular to lead this D from the middle of the park and to attempt to contain Finnamore and McDowell.

The MackDowell Bowl indeed. There’ll be many more players to watch at Westmanstown on Sunday. But do keep an eye on those two, anything can happen when they get the ball.


This article has been syndicated from Double Coverage and any opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinion of IAFA. Any references to non-IAFA websites are provided for convenience only and do not in any manner serve as an endorsement of those websites.

New Appointments and Junior Kitted Football.

Last Saturday saw a Junior Kitted Football meeting and an IAFA Board meeting taking place at CityWest Hotel in Dublin.

Junior Kitted Football:

Six teams have expressed interest in playing in the inaugural Junior Kitted Football league this autumn:

Carrickfergus Knights, Craigavon Cowboys, Drogheda Lightning, Dublin Rebels, North Kildare Reapers & West Dublin Rhinos, 

The league will use EFAF U19 age limits and be played under 9-man rules. 

Russell Kerley was appointed the Director of Junior Football by the Association and the participants in the meeting appointed the following JF Committee:

 Barry Bolton (Rhinos), Brendan McAleese (Reapers) and Lara Sleator (Knights).

New Communications Officer:

Maurice Cosgrave, who is currently the IAFA Event Manager was appointed to the vacant Communications Officer position.

 Finance Officer Eoin O’Sullivan has stepped down due to taking up a full time coaching position abroad. This position will be advertised soon.

Shamrock Bowl XXVIII:

 The IAFA Board announced a new ticketing initiative aimed at generating income for clubs for this year’s Shamrock Bowl. For the first time ever, ticket revenue generated by individual clubs will accrue to those clubs instead of the Association.

 Shamrock Bowl XXVIII will take place at Tallaght Stadium on Sunday 10th August at 3pm. Tickets are now available from Eventbrite.

European Club Championship Weekend. German teams dominate.

The finals of the two big European titles and the IFAF Europe Champions League all took place over this past weekend.

 EuroBowl XXVIII – Braunschweig Lions 20-17 Berlin Adler.

 The Championship game of the new GFLI BIG6 took place on Saturday evening and featured two German teams – Braunschweig Lions and Berlin Adler. The Adler won a close battle by 20-17 on front of a large crowd in Berlin. Philip Anderson of the Adler scored two touchdowns including the decider in the fourth quarter. Berlin QB, Darius Outlaw won the MVP award. 

 EFL Championship – Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 40-0 Badalona Dracs.

 The Germans also won the other major European club title when the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes had a comprehensive victory over Spains Badalona Dracs. Hurricanes QB Nick Lamaison threw 3 TDs on front of a large crowd in Kiel. The game was referreed by IAFA official, Michael Smith. 

IFAF Europe Champions League – Helsinki Roosters win.

The inaugural IFAF Champions League finals, featuring 4 teams took place in Elancourt, France. Helsinki Roosters won the final game ahead of Belgrade, Elancourt and Thonan. The final was very poorly attended – less than 500 spectators reported – in what was a very underwhelming inaugural season for this championship.

Week 17 Reviews

Shamrock Bowl Conference

Carrickfergus Knights 0 – 8 West Dublin Rhinos

So the Rhinos complete the most unlikely of playoff runs. A few short weeks ago they looked dead, buried and competing with Waterford as to who would go down. Now they’ve just ousted the North Kildare Reapers from the post-season berth and end up going in as the 5th seed.

The result comes in a 2nd half game after the original match-up was called at half time due to a missing ambulance. No points were scored in the replay as the two sides put out excellent defensive displays to ensure that both head to the playoffs.

The Knights now head to the Dublin Rebels next weekend whilst the Rhinos head across the country to face the UL Vikings.

IAFL-1

Meath Bulldogs 6 – 12 Cork Admirals

The Cork Admirals effectively ended Meath’s IAFL-1 Bowl aspirations whilst keeping their own very much alive. Quarterback Steve Hayes continued his fine season with a brace of passing touchdowns, both to receiver John Madden, who continues to push at the top of the receiving scoring charts.

Meath pushed them all the way, bouncing back after going 6-0 down as quarterback Eddie McMahon fired in a superb pass to receiver Alan Keane, but the Admirals were not to be denied as they continue their comeback from last year’s fold, picking off the Bulldogs to end the game as the home team began to drive well.

Mullingar Minotaurs 44 – 0 Drogheda Lightning

The Minotaurs made sure that UCD’s opponents in the IAFL-1 Bowl wouldn’t be decided until the game between Mullingar and Cork, with an impressive win at home over Drogheda.

Quarterback Conor Brennan continued his fine form, passing for another 4 touchdowns, 2 each to Shane Walsh and Niall Folan. Meanwhile the run game was strong too, as Adam and Niall Corcoran each ran in a score.

Kicker Jay Bruton kicked 5 XPs and a field goal to round of the scoring.

IAFL-2

South Kildare Soldiers 6 – 13 Galway Warriors

The Warriors grabbed their first points and their first win of their fledgling careers with an impressive victory in South Kildare.

The Soldiers would go ahead though, as Sean Douglas ran in the score, only for the Warriors’ Daryn Tully to kick a field goal to reduce the lead to 6-3.

A battle of a game ensued, with the defensive units continually standing strong. But Galway wouldn’t be denied. With two minutes remaining in the game Tully kicked another field goal before cornerback Simon Lynskey picked off the Soldiers’ QB and took the ball to the house. A Tully XP rounded off the scoring and helped the Warriors pick up a win that their players won’t forget for a long time.

Tyrone Titans 42 – 0 Dundalk Mavericks

FULL GAME REPORT HERE


This article has been syndicated from Double Coverage and any opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinion of IAFA. Any references to non-IAFA websites are provided for convenience only and do not in any manner serve as an endorsement of those websites.

Play-Off Qualifiers now known.

Following the completion of the Rhinos @ Knights match, which ended 8-0 to the Rhinos, we now know all the play-off qualifiers and who they play. The schedule is as follows:

Sunday 20th July – Wildcard Weekend:

West Dublin Rhinos @ UL Vikings

Carrickfergus Knights @ Dublin Rebels.

Sunday 27th July – Semi-Final Weekend:

Winner of Knights/Rebels @ Trinity College

Winner of Rhinos/Vikings @ Belfast Trojans

Sunday 10th August – Shamrock Bowl.

Shamrock Bowl Play-offs Update.

With the exception of the 2nd half of the Knights v Rhinos game, which is being played at 12:30 in Navan next Sunday (before the Cork @ Meath IAFL1 game), all of the SBC regular season has been completed.

Trinity College (SBC South winners) and the Belfast Trojans (SBC North winners) receive an automatic bye into the semi-finals.

The Dublin Rebels and UL Vikings will host the wildcard games on July 20th.

The remaining wildcard places – the ‘at large’ ones – will not be known until the Knights v Rhinos game has been completed – it was stopped at halftime due to a medical emergency/road traffic accident. The Rhinos were leading 8-0. The wildcard game permutations are as follows:

1. If the Knights win:

The Knights travel to the Rebels and the North Kildare Reapers travel to UL.

2. If the Rhinos win by 22 points or less *:

The Knights travel to the Rebels and the Rhinos travel to UL.

3. If the Rhinos win by more than 22 points:

The North Kildare Reapers travel to the Rebels and the Rhinos travel to UL.

* If the Rhinos win by exactly 22 points, the next tiebreaker between the Knights & Reapers is TDs scored. Knights currently have 20, Reapers 19. The Reapers cannot overtake the Knights as they’ve completed their schedule, so the Knights are guaranteed to be ahead on this tiebreaker.

Cecil Martin Coaching Clinic on 8th July Postponed

 
 

Cecil Martins has regrettably postponed his clinic which was due to take place tomorrow evening. He circulated the following messages to all who’d registered to attend:

Hello Everyone.  

It is with great regret that I inform you that I will have to reschedule my IRELAND Combine Training Session.   I have done everything that I could to make it happen this Tuesday July 8th, but I have been unsuccessful.  I appreciate those of you that were willing to be a part of this on the 8th.  I hope that those that were able to make it will still be able to with the new date; and maybe more of you will have an opportunity to be a part of this when we announce the new date.

I will have a new date for you all in the next 72 hour (3 days)  We will keep this invite page open as the event will still go on, just on a different date.  

If anyone purchased a train ticket to the event and are unable to get the ticket changed or reimbursed, then I will waive your cost for the combine training session for the new date.  I will just need the ticket in order to do this.  If anyone purchased a train ticket and is not able to attend the new date we choose, I will reimburse you for that train ticket.  All that I need is the ticket.  This goes for any of the coaches as well.

I am very sorry if this situation has caused you scheduling issues.  Do know that I have done everything that I could to make the trip happen.  I give you my word that whatever the new date will be, I will definitely be there.  I am sure we will miss some players and some coaches do to this change, but this 1st event is just the beginning, not the only, I promise you of that.

Thank You All, and My Apologies Again.

Cecil Martin

 

On July 8th next, former Philadelphia Eagles Fullback and Sky Sports pundit Cecil Martin is coming to Dublin to host his coaching clinic, exclusively for IAFA players between the ages of 16 – 24. The clinic will take place in the Garda RFC, Westmanstown (home venue of the Dublin Dragons – map at http://www.westmanstown.com/contact_us_map.html) from 5:30pm – 9pm.

Cecil holds these clinics throughout the UK and Europe and his Dublin clinic will consist of a combine, football drills and a scrimmage session, ably assisted by IAFA coaches from around the league. Please note that this will be a non-contact session and comfortable clothing is recommended along with footware suitable for a grass pitch. Also it is recommended that you bring water with you.

Participation in the clinic will cost €35 and to confirm your attendance, please go to

http://bit.ly/CecilMartinDublin

to join the Facebook event that Cecil has setup for it. We may also ask you to pre-register your details to speed up registration on the day, but we’ll let you know via the Facebook event if this is required. Payment will be taken on the day of the clinic, so please ensure you bring this with you. 
 
 

For questions on the event, please leave comments on the Facebook event page or send an email to

 

maurice@americanfootball.ie

.

IAFL Action on Independence Day

This year a number of IAFL clubs contributed to the 4th of July celebrations of the American community and anyone else who loves to celebrate the America’s national holiday by organising and participating in a number of events around the country.

Rivals Bowl in Belfast

In Belfast, the Belfast Trojans and Carrickfergus Knights staged the Rivals Bowl. The game was played under lights at Deramore Park, with the Trojans rounding out their regular season with a convincing 50-0 victory.

In Navan, IAFL1 teams, Meath Bulldogs and Mullingar Minotaurs fought out a spectacular back and forth battle at Friday Night Lights in Navan. The Bulldogs emerged victorious with a late touchdown to win 29-22.

Friday Night Lights in Navan

Meanwhile, back in Dublin, the U.S. Embassy staged it’s traditional 4th of July celebrations at the Ambassadors residence in the Phoenix Park. The centrepiece of the celebrations is the legendary ‘Irish American Flag Football Classic’. Both teams featured a mixture of IAFL players – mainly from the West Dublin Rhinos- with some sporting stars from other codes including rugby International Jamie Heaslip and GAA legend Jason Sherlock. As usual, the IAFL players dominated with Dan Breslin winning one of the MVP awards and Rhinos Head Coach Mark Lawless coaching the winning team. Ex-Dublin Celts and Dublin Lightning Quarterback Eddie Goggins also put in an impressive performance.

Rhinos Mark Lawless, winning coach at the Ambassadors residence

Rhinos Dan Breslin, one of the MVPs

American Football receives significant funding in Sports Capital Grant scheme

On Thursday 3rd July, Minister Michael Ring announced the funding allocations under the 2014 Sports Capital grant scheme. Included in his announcements were four grants, totalling over €27,600 to American football in Ireland.

The Irish American Football Association (IAFA) received a grant of €15,000 which is designated for the purchase of training camp equipment and other training aids for the IAFA’s new young player development programme which is due to be launched later this year. The Irish Sports Council has also provided some running costs funding to the new programme.

Three individual IAFA clubs also succeeded in receiving their own grants as follows:

West Dublin Rhinos – €6,375

South Kildare Soldiers – €4,527

Dublin Dragons – €1,704

These grants will be primarily used to purchase equipment which will invariably help these clubs expand and attract new players.

The Sports Capital Grant scheme, is a non-statutory scheme whereby Irish sports clubs and organisations can apply for funding for capital projects e.g. equipment and facilities improvements. The scheme usually opens for applications once every 2-3 years.

IAFA Commissioner Cillian Smith responded to the announcement by saying “we are very happy that the Minister and the Department have decided to invest in the development of American football in Ireland. When the scheme was announced earlier this year, we encouraged individual clubs to put together proposals and now for the first time ever, the Minister has decided to allocate money to individual clubs in addition to funding the IAFA’s own proposal.”