Ireland’s leading university Trinity College Dublin will host this summer’s American Football Showcase, featuring six high school teams from the United States, in the heart of Ireland’s capital city.
The six teams have learned their opponents for the three games, which will be played back-to-back at a specially constructed venue on the Trinity College Dublin campus beside the official Welcome Village. The hub of activities surrounding the Aer Lingus College Football Classic between Georgia Tech and Boston College will host the exciting event on Friday, September 2.
American Football Showcase games (order of schedule and kickoff times to be confirmed)
Westminster School (Atlanta, Georgia) vs. Community School Naples (Naples, Florida)
Marist School (Atlanta, Georgia) vs. Belen Jesuit (Miami, Florida)
St. Peters Prep (Jersey City, New Jersey) vs. Blessed Trinity (Atlanta, Georgia)
“Playing the three high school games at historic Trinity College Dublin is going to be an unbelievable experience and a beautiful setting for the players and fans,” said Belen Jesuit head coach Richard Stuart, echoing the sentiments of all six traveling teams.
Under the banner, “Much More than a Game”, pre-game pep rallies and tailgate parties will be among the many highlights to take place at Trinity College Dublin, where some of the visiting American high school teams will also stay in rooms on its beautiful historic campus.
“It has always been our ambition that these College Football Classic games should be much more than a game, and we are delighted to be able to showcase top high school football to fans who live in and visit our city,” said Padraic O’Kane of Irish American Events, organizers of the games in association with Global Football. “Dublin has become the European home for College Football and this game and the surrounding events will be one of the largest events to take place in Ireland this year.”
Tickets for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic between Boston College and Georgia Tech are available from http://www.ticketmaster.com/cfbireland. Ticket prices start from $35 per person.
The traveling teams will participate in a traditional American Pep Rally and Parade in Ireland’s capital, while also undertaking educational tours during their stay to prepare for the September 2 games. In expanding established Irish-American relations, as many as 3,000 travelers associated with the high school games are expected to visit Dublin.
Each team’s head coach is excited at the prospect of playing a regular season game as part of the American Football Showcase and commented on the news of their September 2 opponent.
Westminster School (Atlanta, Georgia) vs. Community School Naples (Naples, Florida)
“We are excited to play Community School Naples. I’m sure they will be as determined as we are to win overseas. We’re just delighted to come over and play. The game is significant and just being a whole part of the showcase and bringing our team to Ireland is very intriguing and exciting.” – Gerry Romberg, Westminster School, the reigning Class AAA Georgia state champion
“Community School of Naples is honored to be a part of such a historical and enriching experience. Coupling an athletic contest with the rich academic culture of one of the world’s oldest collegiate universities is consistent with our school’s focus on academic excellence and global outreach. Dublin Ireland, versus the Westminster School of Atlanta, a wonderful academic institution of like mind and cultural excellence, is the perfect match-up. – Paul Selvidio, Community School Naples
Marist School (Atlanta, Georgia) vs. Belen Jesuit (Miami, Florida)
“We are very excited by our match up with Belen Jesuit in the American Football Showcase. We know they have an excellent program, with a rich tradition of excellence. We also recognize them as a well coached, disciplined, and tenacious football team and we expect a tremendous challenge for our team. I think the Marist-Belen Jesuit game offers the fans and supporters of both teams an interesting matchup of two very similar programs.” – Alan Chadwick, Marist School
“Our opponent, Marist High is a Georgia powerhouse and a well coached disciplined team. Marist never beats themselves with mistakes. They are always ready to play with intensity, they rise above adversity and Marist never quits.” – Richard Stuart, Belen Jesuit
St. Peters Prep (Jersey City, New Jersey) vs. Blessed Trinity (Atlanta, Georgia)
“We plan to embrace the Irish culture and enjoy the magnificent setting and educational opportunities made available to us. Of course the main objective is to compete hard and be successful on the field in our game against an outstanding Blessed Trinity School. We are acutely aware of the success of their program. They are talented, well coached and present a huge challenge for us on all fronts. It’s really an honor to be able to compete against a great program in a beautiful country at a majestic site.” – Rich Hansen, St Peter’s Prep
“The trip to Ireland gives the boys a chance to play the game they love in front of a whole new audience. The opportunity to be immersed in a different culture makes it all that much more special. Our team, coaches and the Blessed Trinity community are excited and grateful for the experience.” – Tim McFarlin, Blessed Trinity
“We are delighted to be playing host to the official Welcome Village for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic that will also involve these exciting American High School games. With more than 5,000 Trinity alumni living in the US, Trinity has extremely strong connections with the Irish community there. We look forward to welcoming American students, their families and friends to Trinity in September in what promises to be a fun filled sporting event. This is also an opportunity for us to strengthen our educational links with high schools and universities across the country. Trinity has had a long history of receiving students from top institutions across the US. Ireland is the sixth highest receiver of American study abroad students in the world. For most of our American students, the motivation to study at Trinity is rooted in a spirit of adventure and a desire for a truly international education at a world class University.” – Vice-President for Global Relations, Professor Juliette Hussey
About Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin
Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, founded in 1592 is Ireland’s oldest university and today has a vibrant community of 17,000 students. It is recognised internationally as Ireland’s premier university. Cutting edge research, technology and innovation places the university at the forefront of higher education in Ireland and globally. Its historic campus is situated in the centre of Dublin, Ireland’s vibrant capital city. Trinity is recognised as one of the world’s leading research-intensive universities. Numerous Trinity alumni have gone on to make a significant impact on the world: from the physicist E.T.S. Walton who won the Nobel Prize for splitting the atom, to this year’s Nobel Prize winner in medicine, Professor William C. Campbell to the mathematician William Rowan Hamilton who invented quaternions, to the great figures of world literature Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, and Trinity’s third Nobel Laureate, Samuel Beckett. Trinity is committed to educating the next generation of global citizens who like many of our alumni will help shape history and have a real impact on society.