Details
| Date | Time | League | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 19, 1987 | 3:00 pm | International American Football Friendlies | 1987 |
Results
| Team | T |
|---|---|
| Home | 0 |
| Taunton Raiders (Mass) | 46 |
Home
| Position | Comp | Att | Yds | Rec | Rec Yds | TD | Int | Lng | Fum | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Taunton Raiders (Mass)
| # | Player | Position | Comp | Att | Yds | Rec | Rec Yds | TD | Int | Lng | Fum | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Joyce | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 0 | 0 |
Home
| Position | Comp | Att | Yds | Rec | Rec Yds | TD | Int | Lng | Fum | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Taunton Raiders (Mass)
| # | Player | Position | Comp | Att | Yds | Rec | Rec Yds | TD | Int | Lng | Fum | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Joyce | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 1 |
| 0 | 1 |
| 0 | 40 |
| 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 |
Recap
In the first ever International American Football game played in Ireland between an Irish Club team and an American team (the IAFL All-Stars played a game the previous year) the Dublin Celts lost 0-46 at Wanderers Rugby Club in Ballsbridge to the Taunton Raiders from Massachusetts who played in the Semi-Professional Eastern Football League in USA.
The Dublin Celts were determined but they never really put the Americans under any pressure, and although it took time for the Massachusetts offence to get started they put seven touchdowns on the board during the course of the match, the most telling of which was Billy Joyce’s Interception which was returned for a 40 yard touchdown just before half-time. The Celts never recovered and conceded another four touchdowns in the second half.
Scorers
1st Half
TAU – TD 0-7
TAU – TD 0-14
TAU – Billy Joyce 40yd Interception Return
2nd Half
TAU – TD
TAU – TD
TAU – TD
TAU – TD
REFERENCES
NEWSPAPERS
[1] Irish Independent (1987) “U.S. Football” Irish Independent. Monday, April 20, 1987. pg.12 [Internet]
[2] Irish Independent (1987) Your Sports Diary – Tomorrow – American Football Irish Independent. Saturday, April 18, 1987. pg. 16
WEBSITES
[3] Britball Now (2016) History of the Game in Ireland [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/history-index/ireland/history-of-the-game-in.html [Accessed 02 October 2016]
[4] Britball Now (2008) UK Clubs Against Foreign Opposition [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/History/UKClubsForeignOppo.html [Accessed 16 November 2008]
[5] Semi-Pro Football (2017) Eastern Football League Champions [Internet] Available from: http://www.semiprofootball.org/minor/champs/eastfl.htm [Accessed 16 November 2017]
IMAGES
[6] Dublin Celts American Football Team Facebook Page (2016) Photo by Joseph Greene August 28, 2016 [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1421158977901127&set=gm.269427200117075&type=3&theater&ifg=1 [Accessed 3 July 2018]
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Cillian Smith, Michael Smith, Ralph Schmeer and Michael Brophy of the Irish American Football Association and Irish American Football Officials Association.
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the
Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive
Last Updated: 12 August 2021
(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020-2021
You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.