My earliest memories of American Football are playing it on my Spectrum 128k computer in the mid 80's. Whatever the game was, there were only two teams to pick from - Chicago Bears or New England Patriots, who faced off in Superbowl XX in early 1986. Walter Payton and William "The Fridge" Perry were the two most famous players I can recall from the victorious Bears team. Of course, the Patriots would have years of domination to look forward to in future decades.
The first time I remember watching games was the 1988-89 season. I started at Christian Brothers Grammar School in Newry that autumn and some of my new friends were big into it. There's a Poultry Shop at the bottom of Courtney Hill that looks like a huge barn in the wild west with a big wooden sliding door that stayed open during business hours. Along with chicken, they sold sweets to school kids and packs of chewing gum that had a wooden key ring inside with the helmet of a NFL team. I had a Bengals one so I was rooting for them all the way to the Superbowl where, unfortunately, they came up against the mighty 49ers of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. I had been aware of 49ers before this as a fella in my primary school came back after a summer visiting his father in the Bay area, decked out in 49ers gear. San Francisco is on the 49th Parrallel, hence the name.
When the American Football season was on TV, we played touch football on our street. One of my mates had a NY Jets ball. His dad worked for the council as a groundsman on local sports fields and he'd regularly find footballs and other types of balls. It wasn't pigskin, more like an all weather material, pointy at each end and had moulded laces that you could fit your fingers on to give you the purchase to spin the ball through the air like Boomer Esiason for someone to catch it and do the Ickey Shuffle in celebration. We used the drain grates along the kerb as first down markers.
The 'Niners were back at the Superbowl the following year and wiped the floor with John Elway's Denver Broncos. I still didn't follow any team, generally just rooting for whoever the underdog was although I do remember telling people I liked the Miami Dolphins who had the exotically named Dan Marino at QB. The Buffalo Bills featured in the next 4 Superbowls and won none of them. The third one of this heart breaking sequence came against the Dallas Cowboys who had the trifecta of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. The Cowboys beat the Bills again a year later for good measure.
Steve Young had long been in the shadow of Joe Montana at the 49ers but he finally got his ring in 1995. Deion Sanders, already an elite World Series baseball player, was also part of that team. He was traded to the Cowboys the following season and won another Superbowl with them when Dallas defeated the Steelers. At this point I'd no idea who the Steelers were or the links they had to my hometown.
My dad is from The Meadow area of Newry or Rooney's Meadow to give it's full name. The Rooney's themselves emigrated from the town in the mid 1800's and went on to found the Pittsburgh Steelers who they continue to own until this day. The Meadow was used for sports before it was bought for housing in the 1940s. Even after the houses were built, the children of the new homeowners still used whatever fields remained to play football, cricket or pretended to be Down All Ireland winning GAA stars. The Meadow area still has most of the sporting facilities in Newry including football pitches at Jennings Park named after local, world famous goalkeeper Pat Jennings (who went to school with my dad), St. John Bosco GAA and Newry Leisure Centre.
With the rise of popularity of the Premier League and more Liverpool matches on tv, most of the other sports I followed as a child fell by the way side. I was aware of Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers and John Elway's renaissance leading the Bronco's to glory but I wasn't watching any of it. In 1999, I spent a summer in Wildwood New Jersey and bought my brother a Philadelphia Eagles t-shirt as a gift. Coming up to Labor Day, I lived in an apartment my boss had at the top of his house and I declined an offer to go somewhere with him because I'd found some football (soccer) to watch on tv having not seen any for 3 months. He thought I was talking about his national game and said his wife had been excitedly talking about football season that morning. I didn't correct him.
Tom Brady did more for the NFL world wide than any other player in the history of the game. He won 3 rings in the 2000's and another 3 in the 2010's. Love him or loathe him my interest was reignited when I was in Australia and Eli Manning from the NY Giants was on talk shows over there having slain the mighty Patriots in 2008. The following year, the Steelers were back in the Superbowl and I learned the connection between Pittsburgh and Newry. The bursary at Newry Tech, the regular visits by Dan Rooney, son of The Chief, Art Rooney, the founding owner. Dan spent a lot of his later years in Ireland as U.S. Ambassador and continued to strengthen the roots to his ancestral home on the border. I finally had my team.
When my friends and I were younger, we couldn't wait to get out of Newry. We didn't go too far, 40 miles up the road to the big smoke - Belfast - but it seemed a million miles away from our small town existence. After the university years, I did a bit of travelling and experienced what it was like to be Irish immigrants in modern times. There was definitely a greater sense of pride about where I came from. Having driven around most of Australia and appreciating all she had to offer, it wasn't until I got home that I realised the beauty that had always surrounded me - Camlough Lake, Slieve Gullion, Kilbroney Park and The Mournes.
At this time, the NFL was stacked with superstar QB's and after Ben Roethlisberger won his ring in 2008-09, Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints won the year after. The Steelers were back in 2010-11 but it was Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers turn that year. I was working with a few guys who were Giants, Patriots and one who was either Panthers, Titans or Jaguars, I can't remember. One of those new teams. What I do recall is Superbowl XLVI in February 2012 when we all watched it together and it came down to a Hail Mary by Tom Brady to try and win the game. The ball bounced around off Giants defensive men and Rob Gronkowski dived in slow motion to try and catch it but it was too far away. The Giants had defeated the Patriots again.
Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens tasted victory the year after and Russell Wilson with the Seattle Seahawks won that franchises first ever championship scuppering, former Colt, Peyton Manning's attempt to win a second ring, this time with the Denver Broncos. Brady and the Patriots were back to winning ways in 2014-15. Superbowl 50 saw Peyton join the Two Club. Brady and coach Bill Belichek won their 5th in 2016-17 against the Atlanta Falcons featuring Matt Ryan who spent a lot of his youth on vacation in Wildwood, NJ. The Philadelphia Eagles were champions the following year and the Patriots finally made it 6 in 2019, tying the Steelers for most wins. There was a new sheriff in town. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs emerged in 2020 but the old gunslinger, Tom Brady had one more rodeo in him. Now with the Buccaneers, he won his 7th Superbowl in an almost empty stadium in 2021. The Rams beat the Bengals in 2022 but the game was upstaged by Dr. Dre's Half Time Show. The Chiefs beat the Eagles, The Chiefs beat the 49ers who hadn't lost any then lost 3 and The Eagles beat The Chiefs.
And here we are in season 2025-26. Superbowl LX (60) will be held at the home of the 49ers, Levi Stadium (which replaced the brilliantly named Candlestick Park) on Sunday 8th February 2026. It usually coincides with school half term holidays so my wife, 10 year old son, Arlo and I usually go to a hotel down south for a few days. I stay up late to watch the game and I don't have to worry about getting up for work. At breakfast, my son wants to know about the half time show. To get to the Superbowl, a team has to win 12-14 of the 16 regular season games plus a couple in play offs. For the first time ever, one of these regular season games was played in Dublin, Ireland.
Tickets went on sale in June for the Pittsburgh Steelers v Minnesota Vikings on 28th September 2025. One team had to be involved in the first ever NFL game in Ireland and not only that, it would also be played in the biggest stadium in the country, Croke Park. My dad and his brothers and sister were at All Ireland Finals in the 60's with my grandfather, I was at All Ireland Finals in the 90's and 00's. Final tickets are not easy to come by. I watched the 1991 final on television and was in Newry for the madness of the homecoming the day after. I wanted to experience it for myself though so when Down returned to the final in 1994, I made sure I was there on the third Sunday in September. Newry is predominantly in Co. Down but we lived in the Co. Armagh bit and while I was happy Down won those All Irelands, I belong to the Orchard County. I couldn't get a ticket for the final of our first All Ireland victory in 2002 but I was there to see us lose in 2003. I went to school with a lot of the boys on those Armagh teams. When they got back to the final in 2024, nowadays held on the final Sunday in July, I had to be there and I managed to get tickets for me and my son. It was one of the greatest days of my life. My dad never had the love for football that I have. He'd watch Ireland in the rugby on tv but that would be about it although he'd know if Liverpool were doing well or not and he'd be interested in hearing about any games I was at.
NFL Dublin tickets were about 3 times the price of a 2024 All Ireland Final ticket so Arlo had to miss out on this one. I wasn't sure how much he'd enjoy it because he hasn't watched any American Football yet. A big day out on my own on the fourth Sunday in September! I could drive to the game and home again so I didn't have to worry about accommodation, not sure there would have been any available in Dublin anyway. I knew a guy from work who was going with his family and we made loose plans to meet up. He was down for the weekend as he had a relative they could stay with in the capital. I live 30 miles north of Newry and it's about an hour and a half drive to Croke Park, Dublin. I left about 8.30 and was parking in the usual match day parking spot on Home Farm Road at 10. The bus into town from the front of the Skylon didn't take card or cash, I did have change but before I could reach into my pocket to find some the bus driver waved me on. Along the route into town there were NFL fans walking up towards the stadium, getting breakfast in various establishments or heading to where I was going. The Steeler's Tailgate booked several weeks in advance was in Merrion Square Park. There was probably a couple of hundred people there but it was still early and it clearly was set up to hold a whole lot more. I hadn't had breakfast so I got some crepes and found a park bench and listened to a Washington fan (she couldn't even say the word Commanders and still referred to them as the Redskins) complaining to some Steeler's fans, about the state of her team. It was at this point I realised - there might be a lot more Americans at this than I thought.
I've only ever been to Croke Park for football, hurling and a Bruce Springsteen concert. The attendance has always been majority Irish but it was becoming clear that this was no ordinary sporting event in Dublin. As I waited for the bus back up to the stadium for the game, it was mostly American accents, a few Irish, a few European and a couple of English. Walking down Clonliffe Road towards the back of Hill 16, there was a Free Palestine protest and then the black and gold was getting denser and suddenly I was walking through a parade of thousands of Steelers fans heading back towards the Hogan Stand side led by a banner stating "You're in Steelers Country". There was no singing or rallying cries, they just walked together quietly, confidently and in great numbers. I had my terrible towel bought at the Tailgate, hanging from my belt and it was now too warm and sunny for my Steelers woolly hat, bought years earlier for Irish winters, but I wasn't taking it off. If the game had been a week later, Storm Amy, a product of Hurricane Humberto, would have caused travel disruption and might even have threatened the game going ahead.
As I walked down St. James Ave. I couldn't help but notice the road had temporary bollards across it to stop a car driving down and potentially crashing into people. I don't recall ever seeing that before for a Gaelic game but I was in Liverpool for the victory parade in May when someone drove a car into dozens of people injuring many. It was a miracle no one was killed. The clear bag policy was another new development for game day. Any bag taken beyond security had to be see through. No Cúl Camp bags with the ham sandwiches and the flask of tea today. Before we got to the turnstiles we were scanned and there was a quick pat down by security. I was carrying a rolled up banner I'd had made but it didn't fall foul of any security rules.
When I got into the Cusack Stand at about 1.30pm there was still an hour until kick off. I bought a programme which was only 10 euro, I thought it would be much more. The terrible towel was 15, again nowhere near as expensive as I thought it might be. My seat was in 313 at the corner of the Cusack and Davin (Canal End) Stands. The pitch looked diminutive with wide side lines to hold all the extra players and coaches required for American Football. My next task was to see if I could hang my banner somewhere. Banners are a big part of being a Liverpool FC fan so I was bringing a bit of that to the NFL. I looked around and couldn't see anywhere on my level then I looked up and saw it was electronic advertising around the middle but above that on the third tier there was just green and orange decorative tarpaulin. I saw a spot and I set off for it. I raced up several flights of steps and eventually ended up at 713. I walked down to the front of it, expecting to be stopped by stewards at any moment but I was able to unfurl the 5x3 Newry Steelers banner and got help from another fan (surprisingly not American) and we fastened the top corner eyelets to a safety bar and hung it down. I told the guy who helped me that I was in 313 and if it was taken down, could he keep it for me. He agreed.
That done, I ran back downstairs and got photos of it. It looked tiny but it was there and it was mine. Now I could fully enjoy the occasion. The Vikings emerged from right below us and the Steelers came out from the opposite corner of Hogan and Hill. The Star Spangled Banner and Amhran na Bhfiann followed. There were plenty of Vikings along with some Green Bay Aaron Rodgers shirts (even saw a cheesehead after the game) and a few Patriots, 49ers and Dolphins but there was no doubt this was a Steelers home game. I joined in with the thousands of twirling terrible towels. There was the song from Groundhog Day, The Pittsbugh Steelers Polka and later Bill Murray, who seems to have been everywhere in Ireland this week, was at the game and on the big screen.
The game kicks off and the Steelers quickly steal the ball from the Vikings offense and have it in the end zone but it seems too good to be true and sure enough it is overturned by the video review. The Vikings with Quarter Back Carson Wentz take the lead with a field goal and then 41 year old Aaron Rodgers goes to work. The Steelers have struggled to replace Ben Roethlisberger since he retired a few years ago. Superbowl winning QB Russell Wilson and Justin Fields vied for the role last season but neither kept it. Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky underwhelmed the year before. Kenneth Gainwell leads the rush in the absence of Jalen Warren and carries the ball in for the first touchdown in front of our end. In the 2nd Quarter, Rodgers completes to Wide Receiver DK Metcalf who sprints away for an 80 yard touchdown. I could watch that play a thousand times and not get bored of it. Metcalf has the physique of a Tight End and duly shows it off by shouldering a Vikings back out of the way just before he gets in for the TD. The atmosphere is electric. I check my banner is still witnessing all of this. There's a slight breeze and it's flapping about a bit but still there.
Steelers lead 14-3. Deshaun Elliott intercepts a Wentz pass on the Steelers 35 yard line. Rodgers leads them back up towards the Vikings red zone but he is sacked and the usually very reliable Chris Boswell sees his field goal blocked. I was certain the Steelers would pay for that having blown a 14-7 lead against the Seahawks two weeks before. Somewhere in the middle of all this, TJ Watt intercepts the ball and the roof almost comes off. I spot a guy in a Vikings shirt a few rows in front of me with Prince and the symbol on the back. In fact, everyone around me is American, this is a real NFL game. The NFL Half Time Show confirms this. Myles Smith takes to a stage that has been expertly wheeled out and put together in a couple of minutes. It was funny to see the crowd go "Who?" and then he played Stargazing and there was a collective "Oh this guy!". I thought he was excellent. I said earlier I didn't know if Arlo would enjoy this as he doesn't know the game but he would have loved all the razzmatazz because we go and watch the ice hockey in Belfast and it has pyro, kiss cam, sandwiches fired into the crowd and music between every play. This was that multiplied by 1000.
I missed the kick off for the second half. I was trying to get a hot dog in my seat but there was only one guy and he had a lot of customers. Turned out he only had beer left. I don't drink so I don't know if having alcohol sold at this was unusual but there were a lot of tins of Rockshore being drank. It all added to the fun. It didn't get any easier for Wentz at the start of the third as the Steel Curtain continued to surround him. Gainwell rushed in to make it a 15 point game. Myles Price had a 44 yard kick return but the Vikings were soon thwarted again by excellent Steelers defense, particularly Keeanu Benton. Boswell made a field goal and the score was 24-6 but the Vikings made it a 10 point game with under 8 minutes to play in the 4th.
Another tradition at Steelers games is a song called Renegade that I knew absolutely nothing about. It was played in the 4th Quarter with visuals from old Steelers games on the big screen. It got the crowd going again. It needed to, the Vikings were on top now. The Steelers had 4th and goal but opted to run it instead of kicking the field goal to make it a 13 point game. Wentz connected with Addisson for an 80+ yard gain that would have led to a TD only for a tremendous effort by Payton Wilson to pull him down inside the 10. They converted soon after anyway. It all felt far closer than it needed to be. I was sitting beside a man from Dublin at this stage as a few seats appeared along the aisle. I was pleased that I correctly called an intentional grounding foul against Wentz. I know my football! There was another Steelers interception overturned but the Pittsburgh eventually held out for the victory amidst a cacophony of noise and terrible towel twirling. My friend from work had messaged me "I hope you're enjoying the spectacle" and I certainly was.
It was amazing to witness the history of the first NFL game to be played in Ireland at Croke Park. The Rooney family must have been so proud of what they achieved and have clearly created the possibility for more. I'm not sure what the Steelers fans think about having to play a home game in a different country and the cost for them to go there and see their team. Ireland is an international destination that has always been very popular with Americans given that many of them have Irish blood so it is a good opportunity to visit the oul sod and also bring a big piece of Americana home with them to show off. I asked one group of Steelers fans how much it cost to spend a week here, attend the game and see as much of the country as they could. They very generously shared that it was $12,000 for 3 of them but that included first or business class flights and premium tickets for the game plus "I drink a lot!" one added. I'm not sure how many fans travelled across the Atlantic but it felt like it could have been 30, 40 even 50,000 so it must have been a very good week economically for Dublin and beyond. I hope they all had as good a time as I had at the game.
There have been some rumours of Premier League football games being played in America or Australia. Some Liverpool fans are completely opposed to it. There are approx 500 million Liverpool fans world wide and hundreds of thousands in Ireland but our stadium in Liverpool only holds about 60,000 and it is very difficult to get tickets such is the demand. A game in Croke Park for example would allow about an extra 15,000 see a game live. Local Liverpool fans wouldn't have as far to travel as Pittsburgh and Minnesota fans. It would be interesting, if it ever happened, to see how many would come over or would it be all Irish?
As I collected my banner after the game and started to roll it back up in the hope that I might be able to take it to Acrisure Stadium (Heinz Field) in Pittsburgh for a game one day, a group of lads from the Newry area asked if they could have a picture with it. I'm not sure if they knew the history, even though it was all well publicised in the build up that the Rooney's came from Newry to Pittsburgh and now returned triumphantly to Croke Park. Maybe there is something in that ground in Newry that travels into the bodies of anyone from around there and fills them with the power of sport amd some carry it with the forever or maybe it took the Rooney's to go to Pittsburgh to ignite it. We in Ireland can only claim so much of them but we love to see our own doing well and this was a great celebration of that again. On the way home, I phoned my dad's brother, uncle Brian who has lived in London for 60 years and loves sport nearly as much as me. I was telling him about the game and he regaled me again with all the stories from when he was a sport mad little boy playing football in Rooney's Meadow and the excitement of going to Croke Park.
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