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American Football Ireland (AFI) is the national governing body for American football on the island of Ireland. Founded in 1984, it is entirely run by volunteers and played by amateurs.

History

1980s and 1990s

The first Shamrock Bowl game was played in 1986 between the Craigavon Cowboys and the Dublin Celts. The Cowboys won the first title played in Dublin. The Celts then went on to be the number 1 team in Ireland for the next 10 years, winning the Shamrock Bowl 5 times. The Celts were also the First Irish team to represent Ireland in the Euro Bowl – the then Champions league of European American Football.

2000s

During 2000, plans were made to resurrect the IAFL. The only fixture to be played in Ireland that year was an Irish selection against a visiting high school team – Mount St. Josephs from Maryland USA. In 2001, the Carrickfergus Knights, Dublin Dragons, Dublin Rebels and University of Limerick Vikings played a full league season of football. The Dublin Rebels defeated the Carrickfergus Knights in Shamrock Bowl XV, which was played in Carrickfergus.

All four teams participated in the reformation of the Irish American Football League (IAFL). A new league structure and administration was put in place and the IAFL helped form the Irish American Football Association (IAFA) – the new national governing body for the sport. During 2002, the sport found a new lease on life in Ireland. Again, four teams contested the league with the Carrickfergus Knights defeating the UL Vikings in Shamrock Bowl XVI. The year saw some significant developments. Firstly, three development teams applied to join the league for 2003. Secondly, an Irish team won an International club competition for the first time ever. In June, the Dublin Rebels travelled to Belgium and won the Charleroi Trophy against the Charleroi Cougars and two French teams – Reims Champs and Forbach Taupes. The season finished on a high note with the visit of Team Canada, the Canadian U21 team. The Carrickfergus Knights played Team Canada in Dublin and performed well in a 34–6 defeat.

2003 turned out to be one of the best years ever for Irish American football. Three more teams – Cork, Belfast & Craigavon – joined the IAFL bringing the total up to seven. The Carrickfergus Knights, Cork Admirals, Dublin Dragons and Dublin Rebels played in Division 1. The Belfast Bulls, Craigavon Cowboys and UL Vikings played in Division 2 which was created to help development teams get competitive game experience.

Membership in the IAFL increased significantly and the standard of play was higher than in previous years. In June 2003, the Dublin Rebels returned to Belgium to defend their Charleroi Trophy title. They were joined in Belgium by the Carrickfergus Knights. The Rebels won the Charleroi Trophy, defeating local team, the Charleroi Cougars in the Tournament final. The Knights came third, ahead of French team, Celtes de Mitry.

The Knights finished first in the league to qualify for the Shamrock Bowl. The Rebels beat the Cork Admirals in the semi-final and then defeated the Knights 24–12 in a spectacular Shamrock Bowl XVII, played at Suttonians RFC in Dublin. The game attracted a large crowd and some media attention – highlights were broadcast on TV3 in Ireland and Sky Sports throughout Europe. The Belfast Bulls won the Division 2 title. The season finished with the first ever IAFL Allstar game in which the North defeated the South 7–0.

During the 2003–2004 off-season, Coach Phil DeMonte (ex-Oxford University Cavaliers) was appointed as the head coach of the Irish National Team and IAFL Allstars. Coach DeMonte was also tasked to help with the education of coaches throughout Ireland. 2004 promised to be the best season ever for Irish American football both on and off the field and did not fail to deliver. 6 teams played a full competitive league schedule and the standard of play was higher than at any time in the previous 10 years. IAFL membership reached an all-time high of more than 300 registered players. All teams had bigger rosters and most of the rookies were in the 17–21 age group. The Dublin Rebels defeated the Carrickfergus Knights 24–22 in Shamrock Bowl XVIII. The game, which attracted a record attendance for an IAFL game, is regarded as the best ever Shamrock Bowl. 2004 also saw the return of the Ireland team. The team played two fixtures including the inaugural Celtic Classic against John Carroll University from Ohio, USA.

In 2005 the same six teams competed for the Shamrock Bowl. Again the Rebels ran out victorious with a tough fought win against the Belfast Bulls in the big game.

The 2006 season saw the addition of new teams the DCU Saints and Dublin Marshals to the IAFL making the total number of competing teams, 8, the highest it had been in many years. The UL Vikings faced the Rebels in the Bowl game, which the Rebels won, making it their fourth consecutive Shamrock Bowl win.

The 2007 season was contested by nine teams, following the addition of the Belfast Trojans and the Tallaght Outlaws to the league. The 2007 Shamrock Bowl was won by UL Vikings.

After the 2008 season, the Tallaght Outlaws decided to stop playing in the league, after playing two full seasons in the league.

Structure

AFI oversee the administration of 3 codes:

• Senior American Football (18 year olds and above)
• Youth American Football (15-18 year olds)
• Flag Football (non-contact, 16 year olds and above)

Within the Senior American Football code, there are 3 separate divisions:

• AFI Premier Division – top four teams qualify for the playoffs of which the finalists compete for the Shamrock Bowl.
• AFI Division 1 – top four teams qualify for the playoffs of which the finalists compete for the AFI Division 1 Bowl.
• AFI Division 2 – top two teams qualify for the AFI Division 2 Bowl.

The Youth American Football section expands year on year, with a record 7 teams competing for the AFI Youth Plate in 2019.

The Flag Football section is split into 2 separate conferences:

• AFI Flag Premier Division – top six teams qualify for the playoffs of which the finalists compete for the Emerald Bowl.
• AFI Flag Division 1 – top six teams qualify for the playoffs of which the finalists compete for the Glas Bowl.

The Premier Division consists of eight senior teams. For the 2021 season, the Premier Division was planned to consist of:

• An 8-game, 16-week regular season running from March to early July
• A six-team, four-week single elimination playoff tournament beginning with the wildcard round in July and culminating in the Shamrock Bowl in August

Teams

The league consists of two tiers of football, with the first tier being the Premier Division, also known as the SBC (Shamrock Bowl Conference). The second tier is the Division 1 competition, sometimes known as IAFL 1.

Premier Division (SBC)

Division 1 (IAFL 1)

Defunct teams

• Antrim Bulldogs
• Belfast Blitzers
• Belfast Bulls
• Belfast Spartans
• Carlow Chargers
• Coleraine Chieftains
• Drogheda Lightning
• Dublin Celts
• Dublin Dragons (precursor to the South Dublin Panthers)
• Dublin Tornadoes
• East Antrim Cougars
• East Side Jets (East Belfast)
• Erris Rams
• Midlands Soldiers
• North Dublin Pirates
• North Dublin Marshals
• North Kildare Reapers
• South Kildare Soldiers
• Tallaght Outlaws
• Tennents Giants (Belfast)
• Tyrone Titans

Shamrock Bowl appearances by team

Results

2006 season

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties League Table

2007 season

Format

In 2007, to cope with the growing number of teams, a divisional format was introduced to replace the old league format. In it, the existing teams were divided into three divisions, Northern, Central and Southern, three teams in each. The idea of the divisional format is that any new teams, such as the up-coming development teams, would easily fit into the divisional format without increasing the length of the season, which runs from February/March to Early August. The top team from each division all go into the play-offs and the two second placed teams, with the highest numbers of points, playing a wildcard game for the 4th spot. The winners of the playoffs battle it out for the Shamrock Bowl.

The 2007 IAFL season, complete with new divisional format was due to begin on 4 March with the College Championship game between DCU Saints and UL Vikings, but the game was delayed due to rain, so the season proper began on 25 March when the Cork Admirals beat the Belfast Bulls, the UL Vikings beat the Tallaght Outlaws and Dublin Rebels (then Shamrock Bowl Holders) beat the DCU Saints. The season continued throughout April and May, with the IAFL College Championship Game eventually been rescheduled on 3 June, with the UL Vikings beating the DCU Saints 50–2.

During the course of the regular season, two non-league games were played against foreign opposition, with CMS College Stags beating the Tallaght Outlaws 67–0 and, in the Claddagh Classic on 2 June, the Team USA All-Stars beat the Carrickfergus Knights 26–0.

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

Northern Division

Central Division

Southern Division

The play-off positions were decided on the last day of the regular season, with the Belfast Bulls, Dublin Rebels and UL Vikings securing their respective Divisional titles and the Belfast Trojans and Cork Admirals as the wildcard teams. Cork Admirals won the wildcard game and set up a play-off tie with the Dublin Rebels, strongly fancied to retain the Shamrock Bowl for the 5th consecutive time. Cork won a close-fought 8–6 victory and secured their first bowl appearance against UL Vikings, who beat the Belfast Bulls 44–2 to set the stage for the first ever all-Munster Shamrock Bowl. The UL Vikings won a close game 22–14 to win Shamrock Bowl XXI and claim their first ever title.

2008 season

An AGM, held on 25 November 2007, decided the format for the 2008 season. It was decided to gradually phase out under-18 kitted players and start a junior (i.e. 16–18 age group) league. It was also decided to run a DV-8's league, where development teams and entrants from already established teams could field rookies in 8 a side matches. This would also help teams who were "just starting out" to get some playing time and reduce the pressure to find new players, which has plagued new IAFL teams in the past.

It was decided to keep the league format the same. The same teams would compete in the same divisions, with the exception of the Dublin Rhinos, a spin-off from the Dublin Dragons, who would replace the Dragons in the IAFL Central. The league for 2008 looked like this:

As of 2008, the Development League (DV8) consisted of the following teams:

2009 season

It was decided to continue running the DV-8's league, where development teams could learn and improve on the basics of football in a competitive league setting. This would also help teams who are just starting out to get some playing time and reduce the pressure to find new players, which has plagued new IAFL teams in the past.

The IAFL format was changed to a single division rather than the previous North, South and Central divisions in which each team would play eight matches, seeded to make the league more competitive. the top four teams would go to the playoffs in which the number 1 seeded team would face the number 4 seeded team, and the number 2 seeded team would face the number 2 seeded team. both winners would then play in the shamrock bowl. the league looks like this:

The Development League (DV8) consists of the following teams.

2010 season

This section's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (September 2024)

The 2010 IAFL season returned to the divisional format. There were an unprecedented number of teams competing the league, with a total of 11 teams taking part in the senior IAFL and 3 teams plus a number of rookie teams provided by some of the larger senior teams in the DV-8's. The league format looked like this:

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

Northern Division

Central Division

Southern Division

DV8's

2011 season

The 2011 season concluded with Shamrock Bowl XXV, which was played at Morton Stadium in Santry. In the championship game, the Dublin Rebels defeated the UL Vikings to win their seventh Shamrock Bowl title.

2012 season

The 2012 IAFL season was contested by a record 11 teams. The Tullamore Phoenix stepped up from DV8s level to join the ten sides who contested the 2011 season. The regular was due to start in late February, which was earlier than in previous years. It was due to conclude on 10 June. The playoffs and Shamrock Bowl took place from mid June to mid July.

The big change in 2012 was that the structure was changed from 3 regional divisions to 2 regional divisions – IAFL North and IAFL South. These divisions had 5 and 6 teams respectively as opposed to either 3 or 4 under last years format. The top team in each division hosted a semi-final. Each 3rd placed team traveled to the 2nd placed team in their division in the wildcard round.

As with the 2011 season, each team played 8 regular season games. Most teams played all the teams in their division once and a selection of teams in the other division. This was a change from the previous year's format whereby teams played home and away against all divisional opponents.

The schedule and divisional standings are found below.

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

North

South

2013 season

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

North

South

2014 season

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

North

South

2015 season

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

North

South

2016 season

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties
North

South

2016 Playoffs

Shamrock Bowl Preview Shamrock Bowl Results

2017 season

2018 season

1. Trinity were docked to -1 points to ensure relegation as punishment for forfeiting multiple games in the 2018 season.

2018 Playoffs

2019 season

2019 playoffs

2022 season

Season standings

Reference:

2022 Playoffs

2023 Season

2023 Playoffs

2024 season

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "American Football Ireland" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Season standings

Reference:

2024 Playoffs

League MVP award winners

Notes

1. Bold years indicate winning seasons.

References

1. Bold indicate currently active team
2. "Irish American Football League :: I A F L ::". Americanfoo0tball.ie. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
3. "Dublin Rebels win Shamrock Bowl XXV". americanfootball.ie. 1 August 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
4. "2012 IAFL Schedule Published - New Format Announced". Irish American Football Association. 9 January 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
5. "2013 Shamrock Bowl Conference Schedule Published". Irish American Football Association. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
6. "2016 IAFA STANDINGS". Dublinrebels.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
7. "IAFL Standings/Schedule". Irish American Football Association. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
8. "Shamrock Bowl Conference". Irish American Football Association. Archived from the original on 14 July 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
9. "2016 SBC North". Nfl-ireland.com. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
10. "2016 SBC North". Nfl-ireland.com. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
11. "Shamrock Bowl XXX Preview - Belfast Trojans face the Dublin Rebels in Ireland's Championship game". American Football International. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
12. "Dublin Rebels capture 8th Irish Championship with last second win over Belfast Trojans". Americanfoo0tballinternational.com. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
13. "Out of left field: Trinity American Football". Trinity News. 19 October 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
14. "Premier Division". American Football. Retrieved 6 October 2022.

External links

• Official website

• Irish American Football League
• Sports leagues established in 1984
• 1984 establishments in Ireland