Westmeath Minotaurs

Last updated
Westmeath Minotaurs
Westmeath Minotaurs Logo.png
Sport American Football
Founded2011
First season2013
League American Football Ireland
Based inMullingar
Home groundShay Murtagh Park
ColoursPurple, White, Black
   
Divisions
  • Senior Kitted: Division 1
  • Flag: Premier Division
Championships
  • Flag: 2015
League titles
  • Flag: 2015, 2022, 2024
Division titles
  • Senior Kitted: 2022
  • Flag: 2015, 2015-16, 2022
Playoff berths
  • Senior Kitted: 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022
  • Flag: 2014-15, 2015, 2015-16, 2017, 2022, 2024
Website westmeathminotaurs.com

The Westmeath Minotaurs are an American football club located in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland. Founded in 2011, they are a part of American Football Ireland (AFI) and play their home matches at Shay Murtagh Park, the home ground of Mullingar RFC. [1] The Westmeath Minotaurs field both Senior and Youth teams for tackle football and the club also supports teams in the flag football division. As of 2024, the club was competing in the AFI Premier Division. [2]

Contents

History

The Westmeath Minotaurs were established in 2011 [1] and commenced Senior kitted football in 2013 [3] as part of American Football Ireland's Division 1. In 2022, they secured promotion to the Premier Division after winning the Division 1 Bowl against the University of Limerick Vikings. [4]

The flag football team began competing in 2014 and won the inaugural Emerald Bowl, becoming the Irish flag football champions in 2015. [5] [6] In 2022, they claimed victory in Glas Bowl III, earning promotion back to the Flag Premier Division. [7] The club celebrated its tenth anniversary competitive season in 2022, counting the cancelled seasons of 2020 and 2021. [8] After being relegated once again in their return to the Premier Division in 2023, the Minotaurs won Glas Bowl V in 2024 to re-earn promotion. [9]

In 2022, the Senior Kitted Team defeated the Philadelphia Blue Flame by a score of 15-8 in an international friendly. [10] [11] Then in 2023, they won their first ever game in the Premier Division, the highest level division in AFI, over the Craigavon Cowboys, 38-0. [12]

Season-by-season record

Senior Kitted

Legend
PctThe team's winning percentage for the season
†Shamrock Bowl champions
‡Division 1 champions
*Division championship appearance
^Playoff appearance
Relegated
Westmeath Minotaurs Senior Kitted record by season
Season League Division Regular seasonPostseason resultsHead coachRefs
FinishWLTPct
2013 AFI Division 17th161.188Paddy Lally
2014 AFI Division 13rd440.500
2015 AFI Division 16th080.000
2016 AFI Division 14th^440.500Forfeited Semifinal (at Admirals)Diarmaid Hyland
2017 AFI Division 15th350.375Paddy Lally
2018 AFI Division 13rd^620.750Lost Wild Card (Rhinos) 13-3Conor Brennan
2019 AFI Division 12nd*620.750Won Semifinal (Eagles) 27-22

Lost IAFL-1 Bowl (vs. Cowboys) 28-27

2020 AFI Division 1-----Bill Dougherty [A]
2021 AFI Division 1-2001.000 [B]
2022 AFI Division 1‡1st‡710.875Won Semifinal (Vipers) 41-6

Won Division 1 Bowl (vs. Vikings) 16-13

 [C]
2023 AFI Premier Division6th260.250
2024 AFI Premier Division8th080.000Adam Corcoran [D]
Totals39491.444All-time regular season record (2013–2024) [13]
33—.500All-time postseason record (2013–2024)
42521.447All-time regular & postseason record (2013–2024)

Flag

Legend
PctThe team's winning percentage for the season
†Emerald Bowl champions
‡Glas Bowl champions
*Championship appearance
^Playoff appearance
Relegated
Westmeath Minotaurs Flag record by season
Season League Division Regular seasonPostseason resultsRefs
FinishWLTPct
2014-15 AFI Midlands^1st^910.900Lost Semifinal (Rebels) 25-15
2015 AFI †South†1st†620.750Won Semifinal (at Cowboys) 37-31

Won Summer Final (at Eagles) 27-25

Won Emerald Bowl I (vs. Eagles) 19-13

 [E]
2015-16 AFI Midlands*1st*8001.000Won Wild Card (Elks) 39-7

Won Semifinal (Reapers) 27-19

Lost Emerald Bowl III (vs. Cowboys) 36-0

2016-17 AFI West2nd440.500
2017 AFI Premier Division2nd^521.688Lost Semifinal (at Eagles) 41-26

Won 3rd Place Game (Cowboys) 39-31

2018 AFI West2nd640.600
2019 AFI Premier Division9th440.500
2020 AFI Premier Division----- [F] [G]
2021 AFI Division 1 South5th420.667
2022 AFI Division 1 South‡1st‡820.800Won Divisional Final (Crusaders) 45-18

Won Glas Bowl III (vs. Knights) 46-12

 [H]
2023 AFI Premier Division South5th190.100 [I]
2024 AFI Division 1 Central‡2nd‡820.800Won Wild Card (vs Mavericks) 48-28

Won Semifinal (Giants) 53-6

Won Glas Bowl V (vs. Dunboyne Wildcats) 19-7

 [J]
Totals77361.680All-time regular season record (2014–2024) [13]
113—.786All-time postseason record (2014–2024)
88391.691All-time regular & postseason record (2014–2024)

Notes

  1. ↑ Season cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic.
  2. ↑ Season cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic. Two friendly games were scheduled when restrictions were lifted.
  3. ↑ Promoted to Premier Division after season.
  4. ↑ Relegated to Division 1 after season
  5. ↑ For this season, the winners of the Winter and Summer finals played each other in the Emerald Bowl.
  6. ↑ Season cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic.
  7. ↑ Relegated to Division 1 after the season.
  8. ↑ Promoted to Premier Division after season.
  9. ↑ Relegated to Division 1 after the season.
  10. ↑ Promoted to Premier Division after season.

References

  1. 1 2 "Westmeath Minotaurs AFC". American Football Ireland. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  2. ↑ "Premier Division - American Football Ireland". americanfootball.ie. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  3. ↑ "History of the Westmeath Minotaurs - Westmeath Minotaurs". westmeathminotaurs.com. 2021-12-19. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  4. ↑ "Westmeath Minotaurs claim first championship victory". Westmeath Examiner. 2022-08-03. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  5. ↑ "EBC2014". American Football Ireland. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  6. ↑ "Belfast Trojans win Shamrock Bowl XXIX". American Football Ireland. 2015-08-09. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  7. ↑ "divone22". American Football Ireland. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  8. ↑ "Westmeath Minotaurs mark tenth anniversary season". Westmeath Independent. 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  9. ↑ "Minotaurs are Glas Bowl V champions! - Westmeath Minotaurs". westmeathminotaurs.com. 2024-11-02. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  10. ↑ English, Jimmy (2022-03-04). "Minotaurs to face Philly First Responders". Gaelic Gridiron. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  11. ↑ "Minotaurs defeat Blue Flame 15-8 - Westmeath Minotaurs". westmeathminotaurs.com. 2022-03-19. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  12. ↑ "American football round-up: Ty Henry leads Rebel revolt as Minotaurs run riot". Irish Independent. 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  13. 1 2 "Schedule - Westmeath Minotaurs". westmeathminotaurs.com. 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
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