Craigavon Cowboys

Last updated
Craigavon Cowboys
Craigavon Cowboys logo.png
Established1986
Based in Craigavon, Northern Ireland
Home stadiumPeoples Park, Portadown
Head coachGreg Loughran
General managerMark Beattie
League Irish American Football League
ColorsOrange and Navy
  
League titles1986, 1990, 1992 Shamrock Bowl Champions
Website craigavoncowboys.co.uk

The Craigavon Cowboys are an American football team playing in Craigavon, County Armagh, [1] who compete in American Football Ireland. They have won the Shamrock Bowl three times in addition to other silverware.

Contents

History

The club initiated play in 1986, competing in the Irish American Football League (IAFL, now AFI). [2] The Cowboys had success in the league in this period, winning the inaugural Shamrock Bowl in 1986 as well as additional championships in 1990 [note 1] and 1992. This initial iteration of the club experienced a decline that ultimately led to the club folding in the mid 1990s.

The club reformed again in 2005, and initially played in AFI's lower-level competitions, winning the DV8 (Development) League in 2009 [3] and Division 1 titles in 2019 [4] and 2024. [5] As of 2025, the Cowboys were competing in AFI's Premier Division, having won the inaugural Harp Bowl I in 2024 to secure promotion from Division 1.

Honours

Senior Kitted

Junior Kitted

Flag

Notes

  1. 1 2 According to the Irish American Football research project Eirball, the 1990 Shamrock Bowl is disputed between the Craigavon Cowboys and the Dublin Celts. In 1990, the Celts elected to play in the second tier of the BAFL as well as playing unofficially against Irish teams. Meanwhile, the Cowboys won the Irish league competition, defeating the Belfast Spartans 31-6 in the final on August 11. At the end of the season, a match was organised between the Cowboys and Celts, which the Celts won 40-0.

References

  1. ↑ "Home". craigavoncowboys.co.uk.
  2. ↑ "AFI Ireland". eirball.ie. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  3. 1 2 "IAFA DV8 Development League 2009". eirball.ie.
  4. 1 2 "Craigavon Cowboys roster & match reports (2019)". eirball.ie.
  5. ↑ "2025 AFI Season Preview". gaelicgridiron.com. 2025-02-19. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  6. ↑ "Irish American Football Association Irish League and League of Ireland 1990". Eirball. Eirball.ie. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Shamrock Bowl History". luckyshow.org.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Craigavon Cowboys Club History". craigavoncowboys.co.uk.
  9. ↑ "Cowboys are IAFL 1 Bowl Champions – Craigavon Cowboys (30 July 2019)". craigavoncowboys.co.uk.
  10. ↑ "2025 AFI Season Preview". gaelicgridiron.com. 2025-02-19. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  11. ↑ "American Football Ireland 1 Bowls 2014–present". eirball.ie.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.