All roads lead to the National Sports Campus on Saturday 2nd November for American Football Flag team. The team have gone on impressive win streak of five games to not only clinch a playoff position but also the Southern Division in AFI Glass Bowl Division One giving them the #3 rank position in the playoffs.

The team who are led on Offence by QB Billy Leenane and on Defence by DB/Head Coach Cealan O'Neill have rallied in the last few weeks going from dark horses to potential championship winner. The work done by these two individuals can't be understated especially with a regular season win against the #1 ranked team in the division.

In keeping with Viking tradition for this team to win out they will have to run the table on Saturday and win three games to be declared Division 1 Glass Bowl Champions.

The UL Vikings recently celebrated a significant milestone—25 years of American Football! The event took place on August 31st at The Kilmurry Lodge Hotel, drawing alumni from various locations including Galway, Dublin, New York, and Granada, Spain.

The evening was filled with laughter and memories as attendees shared stories of past and present games, debating the toughest matches and opponents.

The celebration also honored the 2023/24 team with annual player awards:

• Christopher O’Mahony: Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Lineman of the Year
• Fin O’Donovan: Offence Most Valuable Player (OMVP)
• Conor Kelly: Defence Most Valuable Player (DMVP)
• Oisin Walsh: Special Teams Most Valuable Player (SMVP)
• Jack McClain: Defence Rookie of the Year
• Aron O’Hanlon: Offence Rookie of the Year
• Brian Linenhan: Most Improved Player
• Evan Quigley: Viking of The Year

A highlight of the night was the induction of six influential individuals into the Hall of Fame (Valhalla):

• Paddy Ryan: Founding member
• Kieran Coen: Three Shamrock Bowls, one Atlantic Cup
• Seamus Hogan: Three Shamrock Bowls
• Liam Ryan: Three Shamrock Bowls, one Atlantic Cup, one Division One Bowl
• Glen Carr: Three Shamrock Bowls, one Atlantic Cup, one Division One Bowl
• Adrian Garvey: Three Shamrock Bowls, one Atlantic Cup, one Division One Bowl

Here’s to another 25 years of American Football at UL! ??

What an incredible journey and celebration!

UL American Football turns 25 years old. 

American Football has been played in UL now for a quarter of a century. Initially founded by a group of study abroad students in 1999 to play flag football, the club has developed into one of the longest running teams in American Football Ireland with a rich history in the game. The Vikings played their first kitted game in 2001, eventually getting to and hosting a Shamrock Bowl in UL that year. However, the first national championship wouldn't arrive until 2007 when the Vikings beat the Cork Admirals in UL. An amazing run of wins followed with a three in a row of Shamrock Bowls as well as a European Atlantic Cup title in 2010, leading the to the Vikings being ranked as one of the top 20 teams in Europe. 

As we are a college team, we do experience quite a bit of player turnover so much of that team moved on and the Vikings continued to perform strongly, however losing a number of finals and semi finals over the next number of years. Success finally came again in 2023 with an undefeated season winning both the Intervarsity tournament and the Division 1 Bowl in an amazingly successful year. 

The Vikings also hosted the European Flag Football championships in 2023, bringing the largest ever American Football event to Ireland, in what was a showcase of the sport for Olympic consideration. 

On Sat Aug 31 2024 in the Kilmurry Lodge Hotel we celebrate a quarter of a century of the UL Vikings. We are getting ready to honor our past and present players, coaches, and supporters who have made this journey possible. Support from the Old Wolves Network to promote and develop the event also!

On Saturday, November 25th, the University of Limerick played host to the inaugural Flag Football Intervarsities, a thrilling event that brought together teams from UCD, Trinity, Ulster University and Maynooth University. The UL Vikings emerged as a standout team, defeating the Ulster University Elks twice, as well as Trinity and UCD, earning them a well-deserved spot in the final. However, they faced tough competition and ultimately fell short against the formidable Maynooth University Hurricanes, a team accustomed to the competitive Flag Football Premier Division. What makes the UL Vikings' performance even more impressive is the fact that most of their players had only three months of football experience. Despite this, they demonstrated remarkable skill and resilience, especially considering they were up against a team from the Flag Football Premier Division. The entire roster can take pride in their collective effort, proving that dedication and determination can overcome experience gaps. The standout player of the day was cornerback Ciaran Harris, who earned the title of Team MVP. Harris showcased incredible defensive prowess, leading the team with an impressive eight interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns. The offensive MVP honor went to quarterback Arianna Constant, while linebacker Darragh Healy was recognized as the defensive MVP. These individual performances highlight the well-rounded talent that contributed to the team's success. A special thank you was extended to the team coaches, Evan Quigley and Cealan O'Neill, whose guidance and expertise played a crucial role in the Vikings' impressive showing. As the team looks forward to the regular season, there is palpable anticipation for what they can achieve with more experience and continued dedication. The Flag Football Intervarsities served not only as a platform for competition but also as a testament to the growth and potential of flag football at the University of Limerick.

In a thrilling defensive matchup, the UL Vikings emerged victorious over the Louth Mavericks in the AFI Division 1 Bowl. The game was tense from start to finish, with both teams displaying their defensive prowess. The lone touchdown of the game came from Aidan Maher, who powered his way into the endzone on a ground play. This touchdown proved to be crucial in the Vikings' victory. The Vikings' defence was outstanding throughout the game and didn’t concede a point to Divisions highest scoring team. In a strategic move towards the end of the game, the Vikings decided to give away a safety, sacrificing two points in order to secure the win and claim the Bowl title. The game's MVP, Adam Keane, was instrumental in the Vikings' success. He had an impressive performance, intercepting the ball twice. Alongside Keane, Adam Ward and Kurt Mackey also made significant contributions. Ward managed to secure one interception, while Mackey had a crucial fumble recovery in the Vikings' own endzone, leading to a massive goal line stop. In addition to the standout defensive players, quarterback Fin O'Donovan had a solid performance, contributing to the team's victory. Defensive end Will Campbell also played exceptionally well, making his presence known on the field. The UL Vikings' triumph in the AFI Division 1 Bowl marks their return to the Premier Division with a well-deserved win. The team's strong defensive play, coupled with the impressive performances of various players, ultimately secured their success in what was undoubtedly a memorable and hard-fought game.

The Vikings have completed Division 1 of American Football Ireland undefeated, this has resulted in the team being number one seed in the Division and also gaining home field advantage for the Semi-Final. The team has been led by Wide Receiver turned QB Fin O’Donovan who has terrorized opposition defences all year with his explosive running that has kept them guessing through out every game. A massive part of this run game has been his Offensive Line which is led by team captain Chris O’Mahony. The Defence in particular in the last two games have really tightened up on the opposition only conceding six points over two games. A major part of this has been Oisin Walsh who stuffed opposition teams from running the ball as well as locking down numerous receivers in games.

The American Football Club be hosting the West Dublin Rhinos in the Division 1 Semi Final at Maguires pitches on the 25th of June at 2pm. The Vikings encourage anyone that has an interest in American football or in sport to come down to watch what will surely be a great game and lend their support to the team.

The University of Limerick Vikings haved off their regular season in American Football Ireland Division 1 where they have left off from their Inter Varsities. The American Football Club have amassed a perfect 5-0 record which has been built on a strong running game and no-nonsense Defence. The current crop of Vikings has a great blend of experience and new players. With standout performances coming from Running Back Aidan Maher and Quarterback Fin O’Donovan who each have 6 Rushing TDs. Not to be out done on the defensive side of the field Defensive End Rob Browne continuing his fine form that seen him being selected for The Irish Wolfhounds European Qualifier last year terrorizing the oppositions Offence. 1st Year Student Conor Kelly is quickly building a reputation of a Defensive Ball Hawk leading the team with 3 interceptions and one of the key elements to our successful run game has come from 1st Year Student John O’Dwyer who has become a vital member of the O-Line. The goal for the club is to go one step further than last year and win Div. 1 and regain our status in the top Division of American Football Ireland. The club is always looking for new members, players, and coaches.

Appreciation post,
The Vikings would like to congratulate Rob Browne for making the @officialirishwolfhounds team that is set to play Spain this weekend in the European Championship qualifier. 
Rob was our 21/22 Defensive Rookie of the year, Defensive player of the year and he also won MVP for the Vikings. Who's surprised from that resume that he got selected.
Also, we would like to wish @seangoldrick , @fkwafc and also Head Coach Ciaran O'Sullivan, who are all former Vikings, good luck against Spain.

The University of Limerick Vikings are bringing the American Football Ireland championship playoffs back to Limerick for the first time since 2017; it will also be the first time a semi-final has been played at UL since 2012.  The Vikings secured a home field game for the Division 1 playoffs after defeating the Westmeath Minotaur's Sunday afternoon in Mullingar.

Sunday’s game was a rematch that had been much anticipated by the Vikings for two weeks.  

Prior to the game, lashing rain had members of both teams wondering if the game would be played at all.  Eventually the rain subsided, the sun shined, the game clock began, and kickoff commenced with the Vikings opting to kick the ball to the Minotaur's.

This was a much different game than the one which took place at Maguire’s Field in Limerick two weeks ago, a 17-0 loss for the Vikings.  In Sunday’s match up UL executed well in all three phases of the game. The UL run game was excellent in the difficult conditions with Aidan Maher and Reece Moloney picking up first downs and Maher gathering all four TDs in an impressive MVP performance. Defense continued to dominate with Jake Kelly and Robert Browne combining for six sacks – Kelly producing five, Browne having 1.  On Special Teams the Vikings tipped field position in their favor with blocked punts, recovered kicks and excellent kicking from Danny Quilter. Defensive backs Adam Wixted and Evan Quigley each came away with an interception. On the verge of being shut out themselves, the Minotaur's were able to muster 6 points after a costly third down penalty by the Vikings.

This was a much needed win by the Vikings as they have battled throughout the season for a spot in the postseason, and a homefield decision.  It was also a huge morale boost for UL who enter the playoffs in good form

When the final whistle blew and the two teams shook hands, players on both sides concurred it was a great game with the Vikings leaving it all out on the field on both sides of the ball. We look forward to welcoming the winner of the Donegal/Derry Vipers and Cill Dara Crusaders game to Limerick on the 17th of July. 

The UL Vikings American Football team hosted the Centre College Colonels, a NCAA Division 3 team from Kentucky, USA for a weekend of football and cultural exchange. Both teams played a friendly exhibition in front of a large crowd enjoying the sun and facilities in Maguires pitches. As expected, the Colonels were well on top but the Vikings performed bravely in the face of superior opposition. QB Kieran Gilhool stood in the face of a strong pass rush and completed passes to recievers Danny Quilter, Reece Moloney and Fin O'Donovan. Running Backs Aidan Maher and James Connor found limited space running the ball but kept the ground game ticking over. Our Defense struggled to keep a lid on the potent Colonels Offense but Adam Wixted and Adam Keane performed well in coverage. In the 2nd half, both squads mixed their teams and played a friendly scrimmage with the Colonels bolstering the Vikings numbers. The intensity cranked up a notch and Irish linemen on both sides of the ball performed well, notably Chris O'Mahony, Rob Browne and James Pelham-Burn. It was an incredibly fun and positive day to showcase football, rounded out with a BBQ and some well earned post game drinks in the Stables. The Colonels also attended a hurling match the next day, Clonlara vs Ballyea in the Clare Senior championship which converted some new fans to the game. 

A huge thank you to everyone in the Vikings and Colonels organisation that made this possible, we look forward to the next game which is vs Westmeath Minotaurs on 5th June in UL. 

Liam Ryan

UL Global

The Ul Vikings will be playing there first league on Sunday 13th March against Wexford Eagles kicking off at 1pm it will be our first game in over two years and also our first game in Ul since the redevelopment of Maguires Sports Field.

For anyone that is missing watching NFL on Sunday be sure to get down to Maguires Field on Sunday.