On the 9th of November as American Football Ireland will say goodbye to our president, Aidan Maguire, as he steps away from the sport of American Football here on the Island of Ireland. Having taking a step back from the sport earlier in the year to concentrate on his continued recovery following an inury at work, Aidan has made the hard decision to step away from AFI altogether. In a letter to the membership last month, he said “I have three loves in my life, my family, my work, and my football. It’s now an unbelievably heartbreaking feeling knowing that to truly get to where I need to be from a health standpoint, that I need to give up one of these 3 things. Since coming into the sport in 2013, I have loved every second of my involvement within American Football Ireland, previously Irish American Football Association. I loved playing football, going to watch football, and then also, being involved in helping football grow in all areas, both on and off the field. I have been so lucky and honoured to be on the management board of AFI/IAFA for almost 8 years now.“.
Having joined the board of AFI/IAFA in December 2016, Aidan was always readily available to help the membership with any issue, and was there to advocate for change, and push for the growth of American Football and Flag Football throughout Ireland & Northern Ireland. In November 2018, he was unanimously re-elected onto the board and continued to give up his free time for the members. After becoming interim president in October 2020, he was officially elected as AFI president in February 2021. Following the easings of Covid restrictions, football returned in all aspects of the sport. Under his tenure, Aidan continuously worked with clubs to help them kickstart their clubs following the pandemic. While some clubs have struggled or merged together, his unrelenting commitment to help clubs succeed cannot be doubted. His dedication to the sport of American Football and to AFI saw Aidan re-elected as president of American Football Ireland in Nov 2023, as an uncontested candidate.
Over his tenure within AFI management, Aidan has always worked to a high standard and in good faith. Always looking to learn from others and gain experience to help AFI grow. During his time, AFI has seen growth both on an off the field. Growth which has not gone unnoticed, as AFI’s Annual Core Grant has increased by over 300% since the AFI Board. As the leagues were in full flow, the AFI board concentrated on laying the foundation of future growth with new stakeholders, such as NCAAs BIG10 Conference, Rod Woodson’s Hope Through Football Foundation, NFLs Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars and soon to be the New York Jets. A sustained long-term growth has always been his vision as president of AFI, rather than quick one-off camps or clinics. This was a view shared by many within AFI, which has made the introductions to the biggest players in the game alot easier.
When speaking about the growth of AFI on the international stage, Aidan said “Credit has to go to those who run the international programme, the coaches, players and staff who go above and beyond their own clubs and personal life to help grow the wolfhound teams. All I could do with this was give my full support to the national programme department, and be available if & when needed. I am delighted that the Wolfhounds have finally been able to compete on the European Stage in the Senior Mens Tackle Competition. The Wolfhound junior team has been a great success, and being a vocal point of the GIFT Games each August is such a fantastic opportunity for the young men and women involved. And what can I say about the Wolfhound flag programme that hasn’t already been said. Perhaps the Euro’s been held in Limerick last year, which AFI hosted gave them the serious push that was needed, but to see the growth from last year to this year is truly amazing and heartwarming. I’m so proud of them all. This women’s national team has tremendously helped the introduction of a women’s only flag football league and the growth in female participation has been unreal. All credit goes to the dedicated women who got the ball rolling on this finally. I will not name names, in fear of leaving someone out, but I would hope they already know that I am truly grateful for their belief and dedication.
Signing off on his letter, Aidan stated: “I have made some really good friends throughout the league and within every club & dept. I truly believe that AFI would not be where it is today without your support, critique, guidance and trust. I have always believed this quote and some of you may have heard me say it before – “that when you surround yourself with good people, this will give you the best chance to succeed”. I believe that this is true and can be applied in everyday life. While being part of AFI, I really feel that I have met some of the best people I will ever meet in my life. For that I am thankful. Thank you all for your support and friendship”,
Aidan Maguire will step down as President of American Football Ireland at our AGM on November 9th. We would like to thank him for all his dedication, commitment, passion and leadership during his time within American Football Ireland Management, and we wish him all the best, and good fortune as he begins a new journey in life.