The Annual General Meeting of the Irish American Football Association will take place on Sunday 28^th January 2018 at 2pm. The venue is the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel in Dublin – close to Red Cow Junction of M50.

Proposals for inclusion on the Agenda must be received at least 14 days in advance of the meeting.

Nominations for Elections must be received, on the Candidate for Election form (sent to each club/appended to By-Laws) at least 14 days in advance. The following positions are due for election:

1. President – the current President has reached the end of his second term and cannot run for re-election.
2. Board Elections  – 5 positions as follows:
3. 1. Two positions for a full 3 year term as part of the regular rotation. (Previously occupied by Declan McNally and Derek Ward/Fergal O’Hanlon)
   2. Replacement for Janice Ward (Russell Kerley was co-opted to temporarily replace, but also resigned) – remaining 2 years of term.
   3. Replacement for Emma Burrows (was ineligible to run for election due to not meeting minimum length of membership criteria) – remaining 2 years of term.

The document pack including the Agenda and other documents will be sent out seven days in advance of the meeting.

Yours sincerely,

Cillian Smith

Commissioner

Irish American Football Association

It is with regret that we announce that National Team General Manager Orla McAleese has stepped away from her role with the Irish American Football Association with immediate effect.

Orla was instrumental to the success of Ireland’s international program since 2015. Orla’s achievements include Team Ireland taking their place at the prestigious National Sports Campus, The Ireland Senior  Squad competing against the Dutch Lions in 2016, The National Flag Team competing in International Friendlies in 2016 and Ireland u20s competing against USA AFW Elite Team in April of this year. 

She has served the organisation with the utmost professionalism and dedication during her time. Orla’s service is greatly appreciated and widely acknowledged by all within the sport. On behalf of the IAFA, we thank her for her service and wish her the very best in the future.

Board News

It is with regret that we announce that Board Members, Derek Ward and Janice Ward, have stepped down from the Board of the Irish American Football Association with immediate effect. Both Derek and Janice served with distinction and professionalism during their time on the board and their service is greatly appreciated by all within the sport. 

On behalf of the Organisation, we thank them for their service and wish them the very best in the future. 

The Irish American Football Association

The IAFA is seeking expressions of interest from qualified applicants to the following roles.

Director of Coaching

Key Responsibilities of the Director of Coaching.

• Coordinate the delivery of Coaching Ireland Certification Courses and be the point of contact for the Coaching Ireland section of Sport Ireland
• Assist with the selection of candidates to be trained as Coaching Tutors
• Keep records of all qualified coaches
• Liaise with clubs as to their coaching educational requirements
• Keep up to date with coaching development within the sport globally and represent the IAFA in IFAF and GFLI
  coaching forums
• Prepare and coordinate the delivery of the annual Coaching Plan and coaching aspects of the annual operational plan
• Assist the Board with the development of long term strategic planning
• Oversee and advise on the educational coaching aspects of the National Program Centre of Excellence
• Manage a team of Coaching Ireland Coaching Tutors to ensure successful delivery of all coaching training
• Advise the IAFA Board on clubs’ coaching status as part of the annual audit process

Full Description

Director of Coaching (May 2017)

Child Protection Officer

The key responsibilities for the role include:

• Familiarisation with relevant Child Protection legislation and act as the point of contact to provide information to other members of the organisation on Child Protection
• Commitment to attendance at appropriate training as required in order to act as a resource to members in relation to children’s needs
• Co-ordination of training for others and maintain records of all training provided
• The promotion of the values, attitudes and structures which make sport enjoyable for children
• Circulation of all relevant information and resource materials, on children’s sport to clubs and affiliates of the sports organisations
• Conduct an assessment of risks and develop and/or review Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Protection Policy
• Communication with all clubs to ensure the distribution of the Code and the promotion of related education programmes, materials events and governing body related codes
• Liaison with all clubs to examine the rules, regulations and structures to ensure that they are child centred, e.g. equal playing time, appropriate competition structures, modified equipment to allow sense of achievement and success, use of protective gear, bullying policy etc.
• Liaison with clubs, to ensure drop-out rates and transfers are monitored so that unusual developments or trends can be addressed, including transfer of sports leaders
• Supporting clubs in responding to concerns about the welfare of children
• Acting as a liaison person for Garda vetting
• Assisting in the development of a system of record keeping which maintains confidentiality, while allowing for appropriate information to be passed to relevant authorities where necessary
• Advise IAFA Board on all club’s child protection status as part of the annual audit process and at other times as deemed necessary

Full Description

Child Protection Officer (May 2017)

Yesterday we held our 2016 Annual General Meeting in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel in Dublin.

New Board

The meeting opened with the annual report and then progressed on the Board elections. Four new Board members were elected to the nine person Board. For the first time in the history of the sport, there will be two female Board members – both of whom bring very relevant skills.

The 2017 Board is as follows:

Michael Smith (President)

Brian Cleary

Colum Lavery (external)

Declan McNally

Cillian Smith

Joining these existing Board members are (in alphabetical order):

Emma Burrows, a Sports Psychology PHD student, who has an academic background in human performance

Aidan Maguire, President of Louth Mavericks, one of the leagues fastest developing clubs

Derek Ward, former Director of Officiating with coaching, management and playing experience at club level

Janice Ward, HR/financial services professional who is currently on the Presidium of the International Federation of American Football

Other topics

At the AGM, the Association announced that it is currently focusing on recruiting volunteers with professional experience to communications, event management and financial positions within the organisation. These are currently being advertised on our website, sportsjobs.ie and via Boardmatch. Other items discussed/announced included:

• A new Strategic Planning process is due to start – Barry Kiel (Belfast Trojans) and Pete Kloehn (Dublin Rebels) were appointed as ‘Captains’ of the process
• Team representatives advocated asking members with relevant skills to put themselves forward to a panel, based on their expertise and experience, that can be called upon for specific projects and advice
• The Competition Committee recommended getting the SBC back to 10 teams by 2018, changes to promotion/relegation and structures to help clubs to field 2nd teams
• Review of membership fees
• The association will look into the introduction of baseline testing for concussion
• Team Ireland’s participation in a new IFAF sanctioned International competition with both kitted football and flag tournaments, alongside Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium & Luxembourg and taking place in Spain next year
• Cheer Dance Ireland to come on board as a constituent part of the IAFA which will be the National Governing Body and National Federation for the sport of competitive cheerleading going forward
• The disappointment with the organisers of the ALCFC and the push for sporting sector regulatory changes at Government level which will compliment the Association’s position on visiting events
• New club, Antrim Jets, which is planning to play in IAFL2, was welcomed to the Association

Due to the continued expansion of the sport and the retirement of some staff, we are seeking to appoint a number of volunteers to available positions within the organisation – Director of Finance, Communications Officer and Event Manager. Full details of the roles are available below:

If you are interested in applying for these positions, please send your CV and cover letter to recruitment (at*) americanfootball.ie (*@)before 5pm on the 30th November.

The Final game of the 2016 IAFL Season takes place this Sunday as the Donegal/Derry Vipers take on the Wexford Eagles. The Iafl2 bowl game sees two teams with perfect records face off for the title of Champion. Both teams have worked tremendously hard to get to this stage, and Sunday’s game promises to be a tightly contested affair.

The Wexford Eagles, in their fledgling IAFL season, were formed in the summer of 2014 by Arthur Guz and John Lynch. The two had previously played for the Waterford Wolves, but found the commute from Gorey to the RSC to be a bit of a struggle. They began training together on their own, recruiting friends and family. In the process of keeping in football shape, they formed the idea of their own team. And the Eagles were born. Head Coach Kevin Klatt was the final piece of the puzzle. A year of hard work and commitment later and the Eagles are bowl bound. “It’s been an incredible journey and experience for our coaches, players and fans” Guz told us.

The Vipers, now in their sophomore season of Irish football, overcame plenty of obstacles to make it to this year’s bowl game. Playing their first game of their first season only three weeks after putting on pads, the fruits of their labour are now borne. “We never really took time off after the first season” Founder Shaun McGrory reveals. “We kept our heads down, kept going.” The Vipers of last season, whose first game was a resounding loss to the Trojans 2nds, endured a steep learning curve. This season, however, they are the team to beat. A combination of hard work, recruitment and dedication led them to where they are now. “We learned a lot from last season, and put those lessons into practice this season”. says McGrory

With the thinnest of scoring margins the only thing separating these teams, this will be a great matchup. That two teams can achieve such success so soon after their inception it’s a great indicator of how the sport is developing in Ireland. Both the Vipers and The Eagles are primed for great success in the future, and could possibly be challenging for a Shamrock Bowl in the not so distant future. We wish both teams the very best of luck in defending their perfect records this Sunday!

Thanks to Scott Morrow for the article below. Scott is an aspiring Sports Journalist who enjoys writing about all things American Football. He is a regular contributor to AFI Review and also writes for both NFL Ireland and Double Coverage, and currently plays for the Belfast Trojans. He also supports the Green Bay Packers.

It’s been over 30 years since the inaugural season of the Irish American Football League and a lot has changed over its life span. The standard of football has grown tremendously with now full contact, flag football and youth leagues well in place. The Irish National side has spent the better part of two years preparing for their first ever International fixture that comes this August against the Dutch Lions. With the pinnacle of the Irish season, Shamrock Bowl 30 less than a week away there is no better time to have a brief reflection of how football has changed in Ireland over the last three decades and by remembering some of the most memorable finals of years past.

Founded in 1984, American Football in Ireland grew on a fascination of the NFL and a love for the game. In a country predominantly consumed by both soccer and rugby, the idea of America’s game becoming a mainstay on Irish waters would take time. Thus, the first Shamrock Bowl that took place was played in 1986 between the Craigavon Cowboys and the Dublin Celts; two of Ireland’s first ever sides. The Cowboys would win 6-0 in that game but the Dublin Celts would go on to become a force in Irish football. The Celts would win 5 titles in 10 years (including a 45-23 victory against the Cowboys in Shamrock Bowl II) during the early part of the leagues formation. They also became the first Irish side to compete in a Euro Bowl, the then considered Champions League of European football.

Despite showing 13 years worth of promise that included first Bowl wins for the Carrickfergus Knights and Dublin Tornadoes, a lack of organisation and planning forced a hiatus in 1999. However attempts were made to rekindle the IAFL once again 2 years later. This plan was constructed in 2000 and the league has never looked back. One of the telling moments in American Football history in Ireland, that fell on pure coincidence came in that summer. American high school St.Mount Josephs College in Maryland, USA had made the trip across the Atlantic to face both the Great British Lions team and an ‘unknown’ Irish select side. Little knowledge had been gathered of this invitational match but with the college side looking for an organised game, word was spread and anyone who wanted to play showed up and took part. The Irish team may have lost 34-12, but it was this moment that ultimately resurrected the IAFL and became the defining moment of Irish American footballs rebirth.

As a new era dawned In 2001, four teams would make up the new league structure; the Carrickfergus Knights, Dublin Dragons (rebranded as the South Dublin Panthers), Dublin Rebels and UL Vikings. After the success of its first season, the Dublin Rebels and Carrickfergus Knights would contest Shamrock Bowl XV, in which the Rebels won 28-7. This would go on to be the Dublin sides first of 7 total championship wins.

The Rebels would begin a surge that saw them become the driving force behind the leagues rejuvenation both domestically and internationally. Later in 2001, the Rebels would travel to Belgium to compete in International competition, fending off the Charleroi Cougars and French outfits, the Reims Champs and Forbach Taupes on their way to European glory. They later returned in 2003 to defend their trophy and did so successfully.

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With football hitting a firm stride in Ireland, it quickly began to grow domestically. The IAFA welcomed more teams year after year and 2003 proved to be a hugely rewarding campaign. Once the Belfast Bulls (defunct), Cork Admirals and Craigavon Cowboys joined the fold, the league comprised of 7 sides which set a new record at that time. The Rebels would defeat the Knights 24-12 in Shamrock Bowl XVII, which attracted large crowds and also television coverage with highlights broadcasted on both TV3 in Ireland and on Sky Sports throughout Europe.

2004 would celebrate another accolade in the sports short rise. The season defining final would record the biggest attendance for any IAFL game in history and the final itself is regarded as one of the best finals to have been played in the 30 years. The Rebels would again be 24-22 victors over the Knights.

Over the next 3 years, the Rebels would win their 4th straight championship, the current defending champions the Belfast Trojans kickstarted their tenure and the UL Vikings would win their first Shamrock Bowl. These teams have since set the standard of football in Ireland and continue to be leaders in the sports current progression. In 2008, the league opted to create a DV8’s division that proved to be a defining moment in the IAFA’s forward thinking. The idea of 8 v 8 full contact, rather than the traditional 11 aside, was designed to help new clubs earn valuable game experience and prepare them for future games at 11-a-side level. It improved both funding and recruitment that increased the longevity of new teams, often a persistent problem in previous years. The developmental league has now been dropped in place of a new IAFL-2 division, but teams such as the North Kildare Reapers and student sides like University College Dublin and 2015 finalists Trinity College have greatly benefited and are now playing at high levels.

The following season, Shamrock Bowl XXIII in 2009 would mark a rare occasion as the only final to reach overtime after the game finished 6-6 after 4 quarters. The UL Vikings would eventually come out on top, defeating the Dublin Rebels 9-6 to win their third Shamrock Bowl, with kicker Daniel Smith converting the decisive kick. The Rebels would enact revenge however in 2010 with a 15-0 shutout against Limerick.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/V-lELZXGb98[/youtube]

In 2012 the IAFA once again prepared a reshuffle of the leagues format by dividing the previously 3 tier division structure into a two tier league, creating the Shamrock Bowl Conference North and South. This allowed teams a full schedule of 8 games and also helped add to the growing competitiveness in order to boost the standard of play. This structure is still the format that is implemented in the IAFL today. Along with the change, 2012 would also witness a power shift across Ireland. The current champions, the Belfast Trojans would commence their reign atop the Irish League by winning their first ever Shamrock Bowl in a dramatic 16-14 cliffhanger against the UL Vikings that summer. The game would be remembered for Rick Duffields last second field goal that clinched them the title against a seemingly unstoppable Vikings side.

The last four championships have since all been won by the Trojans, including back to back victories against the aforementioned Trinity College. One of those games was played in torrential rain and dubbed the ‘Thunder Bowl’, when a Connor Whitla pick-6 was all that separated the sides in an intense defensive battle in 2014. The same sides also contested the final in 2015 with Trojans winning 28-14.

So here we reach the present day, with the IAFL in a much better condition and exceeding expectations. The Irish American Football Association has worked tirelessly continuing to push the boundaries of what Irish Football is capable of achieving. The goal is improve the quality and publicity of this great game across the country so that more people can become aware of the worlds fastest growing sport on Irish soil. Since its initiation in 1984, the IAFL now stands at 23 full contact sides, with more expected to join in the coming years. There is also a full calendar year of flag football and the first youth football program started in 2014. With the number of interested players and teams registering with the IAFA, the league could soon be making the strides needed to compete with some of the top leagues across Europe. America’s game has accelerated across the country and the demand is at an all time high.

This Sunday, Tallaght Stadium in Dublin will be the host of Shamrock Bowl 30 when the Belfast Trojans face the Dublin Rebels. The final will not only be a great footballing spectacle, but more importantly it signifies how far we have come throughout this ever developing journey. With plenty optimism and excitement surrounding Irish American Football, the future looks very promising. Here’s to the next 30 years!

Current IAFA Board Member Matt Craig has taken up the role of Business Development Manager with Learfield Sports and will be representing the Penn State sports brand. Learfield represent over 120 college sports programs and conferences in the NCAA including a lot of the nationally ranked teams in college football and organisations such as the Big 10, Big West conferences. Matt, in his IAFA capacity, assisted the GAA with the promotion of the Croke Park Classic between Penn State and UCF. We’d like to congratulate Matt on this new role and wish him the very best of luck.

Sport Ireland, the newly created agency for the development of sport in Ireland, announced a comprehensive package for sporting organisations in 2016. The announcement was made by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring T.D. in Westport today.

To support Irish participation at the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games in August and September, a total grant package in excess of €10 million was announced. In addition, with the supports of the services of the new Institute of Sport High Performance Training Centre, at Sport Ireland’s National Sports Campus, the total investment in High Performance Sport for 2016 will be well in excess of €11 million.

In addition, there was a package of €10.6 million invested in National Governing Bodies of Sport with a further €5 million investment through the National Network of Local Sports Partnerships. Speaking at the announcement, Minister Michael Ring said: “I am pleased to announce this significant investment in Irish sport for 2016, through Sport Ireland’s package of grants for the National Governing Bodies of Sport and the Local Sports Partnerships.  The grants announced today will not only support the core activities of sports bodies, including their administration, they will also support very important sport programmes such as the Women in Sport and High Performance programmes, and the full range of services provided by Local Sport Partnerships around the country. I am delighted to have been able to increase Sport Ireland’s budget by €3 million this year, which has enabled Sport Ireland to support High Performance sport in what is a very important year, with the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place”.

Chair of Sport Ireland, Kieran Mulvey, speaking at the announcement added: “We are delighted to announce a wide range of grants for Governing Bodies which cover the critical period of 2016 towards Rio but also a wide range of important programmes which are covered by the National Governing Bodies of Sport and the Local Sports Partnerships. Sport has flourished over the past number of years despite financial difficulties and have continued to expand their services”.

The Irish American Football Association’s grant was also increased to €23,000, which includes additional funding towards our Women In Sport initiatives. Commenting on this increased funding, IAFA Commissioner Cillian Smith said, “IAFA welcomes the decision by Sport Ireland to increase the investment in NGBs and is appreciative that our core grant has increased for 2016. These grants are critical to assisting us in delivering enhanced training to officials, training two new coaching tutors and improving player skills via the National Programme and we look forward to improving our programmes over the coming season”.

Mayo All-Star Aidan O’Shea will be heading stateside to try his hand at American Football as part of AIB’s The Toughest Trade, a TV documentary, commissioned by AIB, which will take a fresh, in-depth look at how professional sports compare to the amateur AIB GAA Club Championships as Irish players trade sports and clubs with international athletes.

Weighing in at the 15 and-a-half stone mark the 25-year-old is as big and as strong a player as you get in the GAA. But on the gridiron, he’ll be dwarfed by much bigger men and he knows that he’s in for some tough times. “Yeah, it’s a different ball game,” he smiled at the thought of being on the receiving end for a change. “Even just the pure technique of what they are doing. I’m going to be small basically, to be honest about it. I expect to be anyway. Looking at some of the weights and my size, I’m 6’4″, some of them could have 20kgs on me which is just insane. I’m just around the 100kg mark.”

O’Shea says he’s a casual fan of the NFL, watching it at the weekends on television, but that basketball is his second sport after Gaelic football. He still hasn’t gotten his full itinerary yet, so he doesn’t know what team he will be training with, what level he’s likely to be competing at or which NFL star will come to Ireland to try his hand at Gaelic Football.

Along with O’Shea, Tipperary hurler Brendan Maher was in Australia trying out cricket with Big Bash League franchise Adelaide Strikers. This year is the documentary’s second season – last year’s film featured Kilkenny hurler Jackie Tyrrell, retired Armagh star Aaron Kernan, former England soccer international David Bentley and baseball great Brian Schneider.

The documentary will air ahead of the AIB GAA Club Championship finals on St. Patrick’s Day, and will subsequently be available to view on the AIB YouTube channel.

We are delighted to announce that Doug Platten, a long standing member of the Irish American football community, has been appointed as our first ever Senior Alumni Officer. Doug has been involved in the sport in a variety of roles over the past 25 years; he has sat on many league committees prior to the current structure, he has served as Team Ireland General Manager and has been involved at club level.

Since the sport first started in Ireland in the 1980s, several thousand people have passed through the sport. Over the years, most of these Irish football alumni have drifted off into other walks of life or into retirement, yet many have made significant contributions to the sport in past years. The establishment of an Alumni organisation will allow these past members to reconnect with the sport. For some it will be an opportunity to reconnect with old friends or foes to talk about the halcyon days of the past and for others, it will present an opportunity to get back involved with IAFA going forward.

One of Doug’s roles will be to reconnect with these past members, especially with a special anniversary taking place this year, Shamrock Bowl 30, where we plan to hold a special alumni event in conjunction with the game.

All past members of the sport, be that of the current IAFA organisation or of any of the previous Associations and Leagues which existed in Ireland in the past, e.g. AFAI, Combined Gridiron League, original IAFA, original IAFL, etc., are welcome to join. Those interested should forward contact Doug directly at alumni@americanfootball.ie.

Looking for somewhere to watch Superbowl 50? Well you’re in luck as there’s a number of Superbowl events being held around the country and we’ve compiled a list for you to find the one closest to you. Use the map above to find the event closest to you – events with the IAFA logo are hosted by our clubs, so if you’re thinking of starting to play football, it’s a great opportunity to join up and support the Irish league!

We’ll continue to add events to the list, but if you know of a venue that’s hosting a Superbowl event and isn’t on this list, or you manage a venue and want to be added, please email maurice@americanfootball.ie with the details.