If it gets the green light, the regular season NFL game in Dublin would be Ireland’s biggest-ever sporting event.
“Outlining the benefits of hosting such an event at Croke Park, a position document has been prepared by the NFL, GAA, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for the new government to sign off on,” the Irish Examiner reported on Thursday.
The Irish Examiner previously reported in November that the matter of an NFL game in Ireland would be an urgent one for the new Government, which has yet to be formed.
Indeed, Fine Gael, the party that won the third most seats in Ireland’s recent General Election, mentions the possibility of hosting an NFL game in Ireland in its party manifesto.
The Irish Examiner reported on Thursday that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell met a GAA and Croke Park delegation at the Carolina Panthers-New York Giants game in Munch, Germany last month.
Earlier this year, Steelers and NFL operational teams visited Croke Park, which ultimately satisfied all of the criteria required to host the major event, the Irish Examiner reported in November.
Speculation that a regular season NFL game would be hosted in Ireland has lingered for some time, with the Pittsburgh Steelers, owned by the Irish American Rooney family since its founding, at the forefront of discussions.
That speculation kicked into overdrive in May 2023 when the Steelers were awarded rights to expand its brand and activities for Ireland and Northern Ireland in May 2023 as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program.
Explaining why the Steelers applied for a Global Markets license in Ireland, the franchise pointed it to its deep Irish connections: “The Rooney family emigrated from Ireland in the 1840s and their Irish roots have remained important to them.
“Current Steelers President Art Rooney II became the first member of the Rooney Family to visit Northern Ireland since the family emigrated in 1840 when he visited there in the early 1970s.
“Former Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney and his wife, Patricia, spent a great deal of their time giving back to Ireland and worked hard to help make it a better place, whether that be through establishing The Ireland Funds or his work as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. He also drove the decision to play an NFL game in Ireland in 1997.
“Mrs. Patricia Rooney, whose family emigrated from County Mayo in the 1920s, was a guiding force in the establishment of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.
“When the NFL created the opportunity for all teams to become active in international markets, Ireland was on the team’s shortlist. This license will enable the Steelers to bring back some of the traditions and initiatives instituted by Dan Rooney, as well as to bring some new ones forward.”
When the Steelers won marketing rights in Ireland, the franchise said: “As part of our long-term planning, we aspire to return to the island to play an NFL game.”
That aspiration is being fueled by several Irish initiatives launched by the Steelers. Just after the Steelers won rights in Ireland, they formally launched their ‘Steelers Ireland’ social media accounts and in July 2023, launched ‘The Irish Steelers Podcast.’
On the ground in Ireland, the Steelers have hosted kicking clinics and youth camps, as well as watch parties, some in Croke Park. In August 2023, GAAGO, the streaming service jointly owned by RTE and the GAA, aired three pre-season Steelers games.
More recently, GAA star and Steelers fan Paudie Clifford announced the Steelers fourth-round draft selection live from Ireland in April.
Céad míle fáilte ☘️
A surreal moment in Ireland. 🙌🏻
Kerry GAA captain and proud member of #SteelersNation Paudie Clifford has announced the 119th pick in the 2024 #NFLDraft from Killarney, Co. Kerry📍#SteelersIreland#HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/UmVB7qN64R
— Steelers Ireland (@SteelersIreland) April 27, 2024
No regular-season NFL game has ever taken place in Ireland, but the Steelers did face – and beat – the Chicago Bears in Croke Park in a pre-season game in 1997.
📅 July 27, 1997
🏟 Croke Park
📍 Dublin, Ireland
🏈 Steelers 30, Bears 17#StPatricksDay pic.twitter.com/OenVCiQgHZ
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) March 18, 2020
It’s unclear who the Steelers would play if the NFL game in Dublin is approved. The Irish Examiner previously noted that the New York Jets, who recently landed international marketing rights in the country, “have a traditional link with Ireland.”
