IRELAND v ADRIAN COLLEGE, MICHIGAN.

Sunday 8th May 2005

Venue - Greystones Rugby Club.

Adrian College, Michigan team photo.

Due to the success of the 2004 game, a second Celtic Classic game has been scheduled for 2005. Celtic Classic II will feature Ireland (IAFL Allstars) v Adrian College, Michigan and will take place at Greystones Rugby Club (home of Dublin Rebels) on Sunday 8th May.

The 2004 Celtic Classic featured Ireland v John Carroll University from Ohio. John Carroll won the game which was played on front of a large crowd at Greytones last May. At the time, the game set the all time attendance record for an IAFL game in Ireland, although has since been beaten by the record attendance at last Augusts Shamrock Bowl. Coach Jim Lyall of Adrian College attended the 2004 game as an observer on behalf of the Global Football organisation. Coach Lyall enjoyed the experience and asked both the IAFL and Global Football if he could bring his own team over in 2005.

Ireland v John Carroll at the 2004 Celtic Classic.

Adrian College play in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association conference in Division III of the NCAA (same division as John Carroll). They posted a 6-4 winning record in 2004 which was Coach Lyall's 15th year as Head Coach. It is hoped that the squad they send to Ireland will include the 3 players they had voted onto the Football Gazette All-American Team. These three players are defensive lineman Mike Lewis, cornerback Dan McKeown and linebacker Taz Wallace who was the NCAA Division III leading tackler in 2004. The IAFL has agreed to incorporate some training dates for the Ireland team into the 2005 schedule including the weekend prior to the Celtic Classic.

Finally, pending the success of the 2005 Celtic Classic, the IAFL/IAFA has entered into discussions with a view to hosting a NCAA regular season game between 2 college teams in Ireland in November 2006.