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Daniel Rooney, son of Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II along with Steelers legends Santonio Holmes and Alan Faneca made a trip to Newcastle on Friday to play a round of golf at Royal County Down. The Rooney family are closely linked to The Meadow in Newry. Daniel and the Steelers were in Ireland for their first ever Irish Watch Party at the weekend.
It follows an announcement earlier this year that the Pittsburgh Steelers had been awarded rights to expand their brand and activities in Ireland as part of the NFL’s ‘Global Markets Program. On Sunday, 19 November the Steelers hosted their Watch Party in Dublin’s iconic Croke Park. This is the first watch party ever organised by an NFL franchise in Ireland and proved a hit with Irish fans, with tickets selling out in a matter of hours.
The NFL’s Global Markets Program grants NFL clubs access to international markets to expand and grow the game through activities such as fan and youth events, along with corporate sponsorship and merchandise sales. 500 Irish Pittsburgh Steelers fans were in attendance in Croke Park, to watch the key divisional battle between longtime local rivals the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers, along with special guest appearances from Steelers legends Santonio Holmes and Alan Faneca and the Pittsburgh Steelers Director of Business Development and Strategy Daniel Rooney.
Touching down last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers also experienced some of Dublin’s notable sights, including a visit to the GAA Museum at Croke Park, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum and sampling a taste of the black stuff at the Guinness Storehouse. The team also hosted an American youth football clinic at the Sport Ireland Campus, where young players in attendance participated in American Football skill sessions hosted by Holmes, Faneca, Tadhg Leader and American Football Ireland.
Steelers Director of Business Development and Strategy Daniel Rooney said, “We’ve had a fantastic week on the island of Ireland. The events we held allowed us to spend time with Steelers Nation and NFL fans alike, as well as teach the game of American football to young Irish athletes. We look forward to future trips where we can engage with fans and further educate people of all ages about the game we love.”
Dublin’s Croke Park played host to the Steelers and Chicago Bears preseason game in 1997, still the only NFL game to ever be played in Ireland. The game was made possible in large part to the Steelers late Chairman, Dan Rooney. Rooney’s ties with Ireland were notable, as he served as the United States Ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012. He also helped establish the Ireland Funds, a program founded to promote and support peace, culture, education, and community development across Ireland and among Irish communities around the world.
Henry Hodgson, GM of NFL UK & Ireland, said: “We are thrilled to see such a strong turnout for the Pittsburgh Steelers first ever NFL Irish Watch Party. Growing the game globally is a major strategic priority for the NFL, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are a fantastic partner to accelerate the interest in our sport on the island of Ireland and we look forward to supporting them in future events.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers have launched dedicated Irish social media accounts, where content from last weekend’s events and activities will be published for Irish fans to enjoy. Their recent four-day trip was the commencement of their marketing activities here and the Steelers are planning for further upcoming activities, with the team aspiring to host an NFL game on the island in the coming years.
