UCD head coach Darragh Farrell (blue baseball hat) raises the Shamrock Bowl Championship Perpetual Trophy aloft while his victorious UCD American Football Club celebrates a 36-14 victory over the Dublin Rebels at Athlone's Dubarry Park. Photograph by Beck Parsons.
University College Dublin’s American football club won Ireland’s biggest football game on Saturday by defeating the reigning Dublin Rebels 36-14 at Dubarry Park in Athlone. The win marked UCD’s second ever Shamrock Bowl title.
UCD got off to a hot start, ending the first quarter with a 14-0 lead. Their second quarter was even better, as they added 22 more points and carried a 36-0 lead into halftime. The Rebels would score two second-half touchdowns but never appeared to threaten UCD for the win.
“It just came all together,” said linebacker Larry Doyle on his team’s performance. “Last three games we've just been clicking on all cylinders. It's just great.”
Linebacker Eddie Goggins Jr. attributed the win to his team’s hard work. “There's been a different energy like about the team over the last couple of months. People have been really killing themselves, trainings have been tougher,” said Goggins Jr.
“We're just beating the **** out of each other,” he said. “There's a different mentality on this team than there was last year and it's paid off.”
Linebackers Eddie Goggins Jr. (left) and Larry Doyle (right) pose with the Shamrock Bowl Championship Perpetual Trophy and Shamrock Bowl respectively. Photograph by Beck Parsons.
The game marked the third straight Shamrock Bowl matchup between UCD and Dublin. UCD won their first ever championship in 2022 but lost to the Rebels in 2023.
It was also the third 2024 meeting between the two teams. UCD won the first match 42-40, while Dublin won the second 18-16. The level of competition between the two sides was visible in the UCD players’ postgame reactions.
“Last year, the feeling of that loss that we had, it was devastating,” said Goggins Jr. “I think now that we're back in this position and we managed take it back, it's just all that much more special.”
Despite Saturday’s lopsided score, there was plenty of respect displayed between the two sides. Handshakes before and after the game were friendly, and the Rebels stuck around postgame to give three cheers to a young cancer patient.
“They’ve always been a great challenge for us,” said receiver Tom Donovan regarding the Rebels. Donovan was named the game’s MVP, just as he was in 2022.
Donovan’s MVP performance included possibly the game’s most notable play. After UCD forced and recovered a fumble, Donovan took a direct snap from his own 5-yard line and sprinted 85 yards (American Football Ireland uses rugby fields that are only 90 yards long) for a touchdown to make the score 14-0 UCD late in the first quarter.
Rebel fans hold their heads in dismay as UCD's Tom Donovan (6) races away for an 85-yard touchdown in the first quarter of UCD's dominant victory. Photograph by Beck Parsons.
Also in the mix for MVP was receiver Peter Masterson, who caught two touchdowns and was mere yards away from a third, having been tackled at the 1-yard line after a long gain in the first quarter. Masterson was lifted into the air by his teammates postgame, who were either chanting “M-V-P” or “M-V-Pete”.
UCD receiver Peter Masterson (18) celebrates the victory atop his teammates' shoulders. Masterson was a candidate for the game's MVP award, which ended up going to fellow receiver Tom Donovan. Photograph by Beck Parsons.
After postgame celebrations died down, Dublin and UCD each climbed the stairs of Dubarry Park to receive their respective medals from American Football Ireland’s president, Aidan Maguire. Donovan received a large basket of American snacks alongside his glass MVP trophy.
Players of both teams exited the field as the sun set over the lush grass of Dubarry Park, leaving straggling fans and families awash in golden-hour light. Both team buses set course for Dublin, where they’ll soon begin preparations for a possible fourth straight Shamrock Bowl showdown.
UCD's championship-winning squad throws up 'U' signs following an impressive victory in the 36th Shamrock Bowl. Photograph by Beck Parsons.
Comments