SHAMROCK BOWL XVIII

SUNDAY 29th AUGUST 2004 - KICK-OFF 2PM

CARRICKFERGUS KNIGHTS v DUBLIN REBELS

Venue: Greystones Rugby Club, Co. Wicklow.

Shamrock Bowl XVIII, the Championship game for the Irish American football league is due to take place next Sunday (29th August) at Greystones Rugby Club, Co. Wicklow. The game will be contested by local team, defending Champions, Dublin Rebels and the Carrickfergus Knights from Northern Ireland.

THE TEAMS:
Both teams come into the game in superb form. The Dublin Rebels defeated cross town rival, Dublin Dragons in one semi-final and the Carrickfergus Knights defeated the Belfast Bulls in the second semi final. The Rebels have a 8-1 record so far this season and the Carrickfergus Knights a 7-1-1 record. Both teams each won one of the two regular season fixtures between both teams.

The Rebels offence is build around elusive running back Brian Dennehy (#88), who won MVP in last years Shamrock Bowl. Their passing game focuses on tight end Simon Mackey (#86) and tall receiver Carl Faichney (#83). Quarterback Andy Dennehy (#16) reads the game very well. Marcus Naylor (#80) and Mark Kelly (#20) will also feature in the offense. On defense, Alan Kelly (#74) and Kenny Hudson (#40) are tough to run against. Linebacker Sean Shanahan (#25) always plays well in big games and Darragh Farrell (#26) and Patrick Quinn (#28) are both rising stars in the secondary.

Quarterback Stephen McDowell (#12) is the top quarterback in the IAFL and heads up the Knights explosive offense. However, the player to watch is receiver Paul McKillop (#86) who is rapidly becoming Ireland's best ever receiver - he scored an 81yard touchdown in last years Shamrock Bowl. The Knights like to use big fullback Bobby Murray (#40) for short yardage and tailback David Wright (#28) has been in form in recent weeks. The Knights best defender is cornerback Mark Pollock (#24) who had two interceptions in the semis. Linebacker Spencer McDowell (#90) - no relation to Stephen & Clinton - is a great sideline to sideline defender and veteran Mark Harris (#39) is good against the run.

THE EVENT:
Shamrock Bowl XVIII is being run as a family event with all the extras that would be expected at a major game in the US. From a presentation point of view, the field will be fully marked to the highest standards expected in major college football in the US. Both teams will have full squads in full kit and the crew of 7 game day officials will include at least 2 from the European Federation's International list. Spectators will be talked through the game via live play-by-play commentary from Spin FM DJ Sean Harley, a former IAFL player. The crowd will also be kept in the mood during timeouts with live music. There will be many extras to appeal to a family audience including kids activities, food and full bar facilities.

HALF-TIME SHOW:
Half time entertainment will include dancing from the Coyote cheerleading squad and a live performance from rising pop group "No Way Out" who've had 2 recent top 10 hits in the Irish Singles Chart.

MEDIA COVERAGE:
TV3's IRELAND AM hosted the Dublin Rebels on 26th August as a preview to the event. Highlights of last years game were broadcast on both Sky Sports and TV3. As with last year, the IAFL will have a 3 person camera crew in place for the game and both edited and unedited footage will be available free of charge to any TV station who wish to broadcast highlights. Newspaper journalists and photographer are very welcome and the IAFL will do its best to arrange access to players/coaches/officials on the day.

CONTACT DETAILS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Information on the IAFL:
Mr. Cillian Smith, Ph: 087-4158196, e-mail: iafl@cilliansmith.com
Mr. Steve Stacher (Northern Ireland), Ph: +44 2882-247887, e-mail: steve@iafoa.org

Event Manager/Sponsorship:
Mr. Andrew Flynn, Ph: 086-3888147, e-mail: info@dublinrebels.com
Mr. Oskar Nilsson, Ph: 087-6693919, e-mail: ost_nilsson@hotmail.com

FURTHER INFORMATION ON IAFL:
Website: http://www.iafl.info or http://www.irish-american-football.org

The IAFL website contains comprehensive background information on American football in Ireland including team details, league standings, history and news.

Your attention in particular is drawn to the following pages on the site:

2004 Results and Standings:
http://www.irish-american-football.org/2004results.htm

Report & Pictures form Celtic Classic, played at Greystones RFC in May:
http://www.iafl.info/ccreport.htm

Report & Pictures from last years Shamrock Bowl:
http://www.irish-american-football.org/sbxvii.htm

RECENT FEATURE ARTICLES ON IAFL IN NATIONAL PRESS:

"Gridirons Good Vibes" by Alan Good, Irish Examiner 21/7/04

"Gridiron Back With Big Bang" by Lindy Naughton, Evening Herald 22/4/04

BASIC BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Competitive American football has been played in Ireland since the 1980s. The sport is organised on an all-Ireland basis with teams on both sides of the border. The sport underwent a total restructuring in 2001 which led to the birth of the Irish American Football League (IAFL) - the adult full kitted league run by the Irish American Football Association. 6 teams in various parts of Ireland contested this year's championship (see league standings below). As the sport is growing, the IAFL expects to increase the number of teams over the next couple of years. Teams in the IAFL are comprised mainly of Irish players (c.80%) along with people of various other nationalities including some Americans. There are players from at least 19 nationalities currently playing in the league. All the players are dedicated amateurs. The age range in the league is 16 to early 40s,though the majority of players would be in their 20s. The IAFL is played under full NCAA rules i.e. those used in major college football in the USA. The IAFL league season typically starts in March and ends in August.

The Irish American Football Association received official recognition from the Irish Sports Council earlier this year and is also a member of the Federation of Irish Sports Bodies and the European Federation of American Football.

Final League Standings:
Team (Won-Lost-Tied).
1. Dublin Rebels (7-1-0)
2. Carrickfergus Knights (6-1-1)
3. Belfast Bulls (4-3-1)
4. Dublin Dragons (3-5)
5. Cork Admirals (3-5)
6. Univ. Limerick Vikings (0-8)