Trinity College Dublin American Football

Last updated

Trinity College Dublin American football
First season2008
Head coachGarland Drake[ when? ][ citation needed ]
3rd season, 9–7 (.563)
StadiumTrinity Sports Ground, Santry
Field surfaceGrass
Location Dublin, Ireland
League IAFL
Conference SBC South
Bowl record0–2–0 (.000)
ColorsRed and Black
   

Trinity College Dublin American Football (competing as Trinity College; formerly known as the Trinity Thunderbolts) is the American Football team of Trinity College Dublin.

Contents

First established as the Gridiron Society in 1993, a competitive team was formed in 2008. The team's first season was played in the Irish American Football League (IAFL) Development League. Since then they have competed in the Shamrock Bowl Conference (SBC) South.

History

Dublin University Gridiron Society

Trinity College Dublin American Football class of 2009 Dublin University American Football Club.jpg
Trinity College Dublin American Football class of 2009
A Trinity College cornerback rises to intercept an errant pass against the Craigavon Cowboys Cornerback.JPG
A Trinity College cornerback rises to intercept an errant pass against the Craigavon Cowboys

The club was first established in the early nineties as the Dublin University Gridiron Society. It went on to play flag football under the name Trinity Thunderbolts for one season but soon folded due to lack of numbers and interest. [1]

Trinity Thunderbolts

2008 season

In 2007, the club was reinstated by new club captain Conor O'Shea, once again as the Trinity Thunderbolts. IAFL commissioner Darrin O'Toole was recruited as coach. In their first year of full contact football, the Thunderbolts formed part of the new IAFL Development League (also known as the DV-8 League). Their season began with successive losses against the IAFL's oldest team, the Craigavon Cowboys. Another loss followed against the Dublin Rebels, the eventual league winners. The team then scored what would be its only victory of the season against the Dublin Dragons, in a 51–20 blowout. The Thunderbolts then lost to the Cork Admirals and the Rebels again to leave them at 1–5. [1]

Dublin University American Football Club

2009 season

Following the conclusion of the 2008 season, the team undertook moves to become an official Trinity College club, as required by college rules, renaming itself the Dublin University American Football Club. After the departure of Darrin O'Toole, injured captain Conor O'Shea became head coach.[ citation needed ] The club went on a recruiting drive to increase its squad size, looking to improve on its 1–5 record. [1] [2]

The moves proved successful,[ original research? ] as in the club's first match of the 2009 season, it defeated the Edenderry Soldiers on a scoreline of 56–0, which would prove to be both the highest margin of victory in the league that season, and the first of seven shutout victories for Trinity. [3] Trinity's only loss of the season came in their second game, against the UCD Sentinels. They followed this with two victories against the Sentinels, followed by victories against the Craigavon Cowboys, the Dublin Dragons, and two against the Erris Rams, to leave the team with an unassailable record of seven victories and one loss. [4]

2010 season

In 2010, Darrin O'Toole returned as head coach, and the club looked to continue its success in the DV-8 League by moving into the main IAFL league. Trinity was placed in the IAFL Central division, alongside collegiate rivals the DCU Saints, the West Dublin Rhinos, and the league's most successful team, the Dublin Rebels. Despite a strong showing in early season games,[ citation needed ] including inaugural victories over the DCU Saints and the Belfast Trojans, the club suffered from poor form during the middle of the season,[ original research? ] culminating in a 36–6 loss to the Saints in what would transpire to be their last competitive game before folding the following season.[ citation needed ]

2011 season

2011 began brightly for the club,[ tone ] as they captured the IAFL College Bowl for the first time in spectacular fashion.[ tone ] Facing the UL Vikings in Limerick, the game finished 12–6 after triple overtime (7 quarters) and 3 hours and 45 minutes of play; an IAFL record for match length. The victory was sealed in the third quarter of overtime with a touchdown from Rob McDowell. Linebacker Stephen Carton was named game MVP. [5] This form continued into the full IAFL league, as the club recorded three victories in its opening four games: against UCD, the Dublin Dragons, and the West Dublin Rhinos. However, the season would end poorly: the club was forced to withdraw from the league in early June due to a lack of players (the college's term having finished in May, many students became unavailable after this time). Despite forfeiting three games, running back Rob McDowell would go on to be named the 2011 IAFL league MVP.[ original research? ]

2012 season

Trinity hosted a preseason charity game in November against rivals UCD, with Trinity coming out on top 7–0 thanks to a Rob McDowell touchdown. But more importantly the game ensured the children in Temple Street hospital received presents that were donated by both sets of fans and players. [6] Competing in the newly formed IAFL South division, following the restructuring of the IAFL's divisional system, Trinity was set to embark on their 2012 campaign with early match-ups against the top three-seeded teams in the country.

In their season opener, Trinity endured a crushing 55–8 defeat at the hands of the second-ranked UL Vikings. This was immediately followed by a 52–18 loss to the reigning league champions, the Dublin Rebels. Having begun the season 0–2, Trinity sought to redeem their poor start with a win against the number three-seeded Carrickfergus Knights. Trinity sprang to an early 12-point lead and would hold on to beat the Knights 19–16. [7] Trinity went on to dominate the rest of their season, ending 6–2 and setting various offensive records. The club concluded its season with an exhibition game on 2 June against the New England Ironmen, a collection of graduating seniors from a number of NCAA Division III football programs located mainly in the New England region, including Endicott College, UMass Dartmouth, Juniata College, Curry College, and Worcester State University. [8]

2013 season

Trinity competed in the South division of the then newly formed Shamrock Bowl Conference (SBC) in the 2013 season.

Records

2014 season

Winning all eight regular season games, Trinity won the south division of the Shamrock Bowl Conference. En route to their undefeated year, Trinity's offence set league records in nearly every category. As well, Trinity had three players leading in the Shamrock Bowl Conference individual statistical categories in the 2014 season (QB Dan Finnamore, WR Daniel Murphy and K Conor McGinn). [9] On 25 May 2014 they defeated the Belfast Trojans 18–0, bringing an end to their two-year unbeaten streak. After the regular season they matched up with the Dublin Rebels in the semi-finals of the playoffs. Trinity got the best of the Rebels with a dominant 41–8 win. The students then faced the Belfast Trojans once again in Shamrock Bowl XXVIII. In a rain-soaked matchup in Tallaght Stadium, the Trojans eked out a 7–0 win to capture their third Championship in a row.

College Bowl

GameDateOpponentResultsVenue
Final scoreTeam record
117 NovemberUL VikingsW 13–00–1Santry

Regular season

GameDateOpponentResultsVenue
Final scoreTeam record
19 MarchUL VikingsW 34–91–0Santry
223 MarchWest Dublin RhinosW 27–02–0Santry
36 AprilCarrickfergus KnightsW 27–183–0Santry
413 AprilCraigavon CowboysW 25–164–0Craigavon
525 MayBelfast TrojansW 18–05–0Deramore Park
68 JuneNorth Kildare ReapersW 52–216–0Santry
715 JuneWaterford Wolves W 36–07–0Waterford
829 JuneWest Dublin RhinosW 53–68–0Castleknock College

Standings

SBC SouthWLT
1Trinity College800
2 UL Vikings 620
3 North Kildare Reapers 450
4 West Dublin Rhinos 350
5 Waterford Wolves 080

Shamrock Bowl Playoffs

Trinity received a first-round bye in the playoffs and matched up against the Dublin Rebels in the semi-finals. After a commanding win over the Rebels, Trinity went on to play in Shamrock Bowl XXVIII against the Belfast Trojans. In a rain-soaked Tallaght Stadium, Belfast capitalised on a crucial Trinity turnover for the only score, and their second Shamrock Bowl win in a row.

GameDateOpponentResultsVenue
Final scoreTeam record
Semi-final27 JulyDublin RebelsW 41–81–0Dublin Rebels
Shamrock Bowl XXVIII10 AugustBelfast TrojansL 0–71–1 Tallaght Stadium

2015 season

Trinity followed its undefeated campaign with a 7–1 record. They lost the first game in a slow, muddy affair in UL. Following that they got a pair of unconventional wins including a scrappy 21-point comeback win at the Dublin Rebels. In a truly memorable game, the Rebels became the only IAFL team in history to squander such a large lead. Trinity drove to score the winning touchdown and capped it off with a successful 2-point conversion to WR Alex Gurnee. Their season rolled on much like their previous undefeated season with a defence that began firing on all cylinders to match their high-powered offence. A game against the Dublin Rhinos involved a jersey mishap where Trinity wore the Rhinos jerseys for the duration of their win. Some matches this season also took place at ALSAA due to scheduling issues. Trinity advanced to the playoff where they once again matched up with the Dublin Rebels. During the rainy match Trinity's offence couldn't be stopped and they advanced to Shamrock Bowl XXIX with a commanding 22–0 win over the rival Rebels. In the Dalymount Park rematch of the previous bowl game Trinity was stopped by the best team in Ireland. the Trojans got the victory by beating the students 28–14 and earning their fourth Championship in a row.

College Bowl

GameDateOpponentResultsVenue
Final scoreTeam record
123 November UCD L 20–260–1UCD Astro

Regular season

GameDateOpponentResultsVenue
Final scoreTeam record
18 MarchUL VikingsL 0–140–1UL
223 MarchDublin RebelsW 29–281–1Dublin Rebels
329 MarchSouth Dublin PanthersW 7–22–1Santry
424 MayUL VikingsW 22–33–1Santry
531 MayNorth Kildare ReapersW 34–34–1Santry
614 JuneUCDW 23–145–1UCD
728 JuneWest Dublin Rhinos W 42–76–1Castleknock College
85 JulyUCDW 45–217–1UCD

Standings

SBC SouthWLT
1Trinity College710
2 UL Vikings 620
3 UCD 350
4 North Kildare Reapers 350
5 West Dublin Rhinos 170

Shamrock Bowl Playoffs

Trinity received a first-round bye in the playoffs and matched up in a rematch of the regular season classic with the Dublin Rebels. In the away match at a neutral venue, Triniy held the high power Rebels to a shutout. Advancing to the Shamrock Bowl, Trinity played a rematch of last year's Shamrock Bowl against the Belfast Trojans.

GameDateOpponentResultsVenue
Final scoreTeam record
Semi-final26 JulyDublin RebelsW 22–01–0Deramore Park
Shamrock Bowl XXIX9 AugustBelfast TrojansL 14–281–1 Dalymount Park

2016 season

On the back of a second Shamrock Bowl loss Trinity's 2016 season never got off the ground: a paltry 2–6 record was all the students had to show.[ tone ] Coming into the campaign Trinity lost a core part of the team to the expatriation of Offensive Coordinator Craig Marron, Offensive Weapon Rob McDowell, OL Kieran Coughlan, QB Dan Finnamore, WR Alex Gurnee. Beleaguered, Trinity went into the season trying out different offensive combinations none of which provided for a stable week in week out team like the previous years. The season began in November with an 8–6 loss to UL in the College Championships. Beginning the SBC season Trinity lost away to UCD 22–0. They rebounded the next week against Craigavon at home. A close home loss to UL followed. Then an ugly loss away to North Kildare in a game overshadowed with penalties made for a 1–3 record at the halfway point. The students gained back some players from key injuries and recorded a 31–0 shutout win in a home rematch with North Kildare. It would be their last win during a season marred by inconsistent play on both sides of the ball. Trinity nevertheless faced a strong UL team in the first round of the playoffs and lost by a missed XP 7–6, ending their 2016 regular season.[ citation needed ] Emerging from the 2–6 season was Conor O'Dwyer who with a strong season at Tight End, was named to the Irish National Team.[ citation needed ] Trinity also played an international fixture against the visiting NYPD Finest Football team.

College Bowl

GameDateOpponentResultsVenue
Final scoreTeam record
Semi7 November UL Vikings L 6–80–1University of Limerick
Third place7 November Cork Admirals W 8–31–1University of Limerick

Regular season

GameDateOpponentResultsVenue
Final scoreTeam record
16 MarchUCDL 0–220–1UCD
220 MarchCraigavon CowboysW 26–201–1Santry
33 AprilUL VikingsL 13–151–2Santry
424 AprilNorth Kildare ReapersL 24–251–3Kilcock
529 MayNorth Kildare ReapersW 31–02–3Santry
65 JuneDublin RebelsL 18–382–4Santry
719 JuneUL Vikings L 6–202–5UL
83 JulyBelfast TrojansL 7–402–6Deramore Park

Standings

SBC SouthWLT
1 UCD 611
2 UL Vikings 611
3Trinity College260
4 North Kildare Reapers 260

Shamrock Bowl Playoffs

Trinity received a Wild Card spot in the playoffs against UL Vikings. In the away match, RB Ola Bademosi scored the lone touchdown, but a missed extra point led to a Vikings win, and the end of Trinity's season.

GameDateOpponentResultsVenue
Final scoreTeam record
Wild Card17 July UL Vikings L 6–70–1University of Limerick

Overall records

YearWLTRecordFinishPlayoff Results
20081500.1675th IAFL Development LeagueN/A
20097100.8751st IAFL Development LeagueN/A
20102510.2503rd IAFL CentralN/A
20113500.3752nd IAFL CentralN/A
20126200.7503rd IAFL SouthLost in Wild Card Round
20135200.7142nd SBC SouthLost in Semi-finals
20148001.0001st SBC SouthLost in Shamrock Bowl XXVIII
20157100.8751st SBC SouthLost in Shamrock Bowl XXIX
20162600.2503rd SBC SouthLost in Wild Card Round
20173410.4384th SBC SouthN/A
Overall36252.587

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University College Dublin A.F.C.</span> Football club

University College Dublin Association Football Club, known commonly as UCD, is the football team of University College Dublin. They play in the League of Ireland First Division. Founded in 1895, the club was elected to the League of Ireland in 1979 under the management of Dr. Tony O'Neill. Since the 2008 season they have played at the UCD Bowl, also home to the college's rugby team. 'The Students' play in bright sky blue and navy. Their reserve and freshers teams play in the Leinster Senior League. The current manager is Donegal native William O'Connor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tallaght Stadium</span> Association football stadium in Tallaght, Ireland

Tallaght Stadium is an association football stadium in the Republic of Ireland based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club Shamrock Rovers originally announced details of the stadium in July, 1996. The stadium is now owned and operated by South Dublin County Council with Shamrock Rovers as the anchor tenants.

The Leinster Senior Cup is a major rugby competition in Ireland, involving all senior rugby clubs in Leinster, i.e., clubs from Leinster competing in the All-Ireland League. From 2006 until 2016 it was known as the Leinster Senior League Cup during the period when the Leinster Senior League had been discontinued, but reverted to its traditional name for the 2016–17 season upon the revival of the Senior League. From 2011 to 2016 only the top senior teams competed and those in the lower divisions of the All-Ireland League competed for the Leinster Senior League Shield.

American Football Ireland (AFI) is the national governing body for American football on the island of Ireland. Founded in 1984, it is entirely run by volunteers and played by amateurs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast Trojans</span>

The Belfast Trojans are an American Football team formed in January 2006, and have competed in the IAFL since 2007 playing NCAA rules in full contact. The Belfast Trojans are among the most successful American Football teams in Ireland, having won the Shamrock Bowl five times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Limerick Vikings</span>

The University of Limerick Vikings are the American football team from the University of Limerick in Limerick, Ireland. The team currently competes in the American Football Ireland Division One. The Vikings have won three IAFL Shamrock Bowl titles – in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and the Atlantic Cup in 2010. The Vikings also won their first AFI Division 1 Bowl in 2023, concluding a perfect 10-0 season.

Evan McMillan is an Irish football coach and former player. He is the older brother of Dundalk player David.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dublin Rebels</span> American football team in Ireland

The Dublin Rebels are the most successful team in the history of the Irish American Football League. They have earned ten national championship wins, four league titles, three European crowns, and have registered an undefeated season three times, in 2006, 2010, and 2023.

The Belfast Bulls were an American football team based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Formed in 2002, the club became "full members" of the Irish American Football League (IAFL) in 2004. The club folded in 2008.

The 2008 Irish American Football League (IAFL) season is the 22nd season since its establishment. The current champions are the UL Vikings. The first games were played on 30 March. The Shamrock Bowl was scheduled for 10 August in Cork Institute of Technology's brand new stadium. The Shamrock Bowl was the first major national event played there.

Shamrock Bowl XXI was the 2007 championship game of the Irish American Football League (IAFL). This Shamrock Bowl hosted two teams from the IAFL South division: the University of Limerick Vikings and the Cork Admirals. It was played on July 29 at the UL Sports Ground, Limerick, following the regular 2007 IAFL season.

Shamrock Bowl XXII was played on August 10, 2008. The match featured the Irish American Football League South Division champions University of Limerick Vikings meet the IAFL Central Division champions Dublin Rebels in CIT Stadium, Cork, Ireland. The UL Vikings were able win their second consecutive Shamrock Bowl title by defeating the Dublin Rebels 14-12. The MVP of the game was Adrian Garvey who scored the Vikings only offensive touchdown of the game.

The IAFL College Bowl was a college football tournament that formed part of the Irish American Football League between 2007 and 2011. Four teams competed in the championship since its inauguration: the UL Vikings, the DCU Saints, Trinity College, and UCD. The final champions were Trinity College, having defeating UCD 7-0 in December 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cork Admirals</span> American football team in Ireland

The Cork Admirals are an American Football team that play in the American Football Ireland Premier Division. The team is based in Old Christians RFC, Cork.

The 2007 IAFL season, with new divisional format, was due to begin on March 4 with the College Championship game between DCU Saints and UL Vikings, but the game was delayed due to rain, so the season proper began on March 25 when the Cork Admirals beat the Belfast Bulls, the UL Vikings beat the Tallaght Outlaws and Dublin Rebels beat the Dublin City University Saints. The season continued throughout April and May, with the IAFL College Championship Game eventually been rescheduled on June 3, with the UL Vikings beating the DCU Saints 50–2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derbies in the League of Ireland</span> Certain matches in League of Ireland soccer

There are many derbies in the League of Ireland, and despite the fact that historically more teams compete in the First Division, the majority are played in the Premier Division, the top flight of Irish football.

The 2011 IAFL season was the 25th regular season of the Irish American Football League.

Shamrock Bowl XXV was an American football game pitting the 6 time Shamrock Bowl champions, Dublin Rebels against university side, UL Vikings. The game was played on July 31, 2011, at the Morton Stadium in Santry, Dublin. The Rebels defeated the Vikings by a score of 14-13, earning their seventh Shamrock Bowl win. Rebels safety Marcus Naylor was named the Shamrock Bowl MVP. He was the second Rebels safety ever to win the award following, Brian Carter.

IAFL-2 is the third tier of American football in Ireland. The league was founded in 2014 with the Tyrone Titans winning the inaugural competition.

The South Dublin Panthers, formerly known as the Dublin Dragons, are an American Football team formed in 2014.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Club History". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
  2. ↑ "Irish American Football League :: I a F L ::". Archived from the original on 21 October 2003. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
  3. ↑ "Irish American Football League :: I A F L ::". Archived from the original on 2 October 2011.
  4. ↑ "News". Archived from the original on 4 July 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
  5. ↑ "Trinity College win College Championship". 20 November 2010.
  6. ↑ "Trinity Players visit Temple Street Hospital". 15 December 2011.
  7. ↑ "2012 IAFL Schedule Published - New Format Announced". 9 January 2012.
  8. ↑ "Faith and Sports International Tours". Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  9. ↑ "Irish Football Round-Up | Double Coverage". Archived from the original on 11 July 2014.
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.