Notre Dame High School Football Team Heads to Dublin Tuesday

will be among a dozen American football high school and college teams bound for Ireland on Tuesday where they will play a competitive regular season game as part of the biggest overseas event of its kind in the sport’s history.

The Global Ireland Football Tournament – GIFT 2012 – has been two years in the making and on the eve of the Emerald Isle Classic, sports fans in Dublin and Navan will be treated to a showcase of 12 teams playing six games at three venues in and around the Irish capital on Friday, Aug. 31.

Click here for instructions on how to watch the Notre Dame games live.

The games, organized by Texas-based Global Football, will kick off at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. local time at three venues usually reserved for Gaelic football, hurling and rugby. 

But for this Dublin Friday Night Lights spectacular, Donnybrook Stadium and Parnell Park in Dublin and Páirc Tailteann in Navan, County Meath will all be painted with the gridiron and will welcome touchdowns, tackles, helmets and shoulder pads.

“There will be some intense and exciting games played on Irish soil on August 31,” said Patrick Steenberge, President of Global Football. “These are real, competitive, regular season games, not exhibitions. For most teams this will be their big season-opening game and for some their second of the new campaign and while they are excited to be visiting Ireland, make no mistake – they are here to win.

“So many people at the core of several sports in Ireland have welcomed this event with open arms.  We have been overwhelmed by their passion for our game and their willingness to embrace this venture and to ensure the players, coaches, staff, families, friends, fans, cheerleaders and marching band members visiting Ireland enjoy the trip of a lifetime.”

Notre Dame High School football team, band and cheerleaders leave for Dublin, Ireland on Tuesday. Notre Dame High School will play Friday against Hamilton High School from Chandler, Arizona at 7:30 p.m. Ireland time. Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012 University of Notre Dame vs. Navy in Dublin, Ireland. Games can be viewed online.

Notre Dame High School football has been one of the most consistently successful programs in the state of California since 1993, and during that time has won 14 League Championships, four CIF Championships and has been CIF runner-up three times.  Opponent Hamilton High School is one of the top football programs in Arizona and won three consecutive state titles from 2008 to 2010, achieved USA Today Top 10 national rankings, and also reached the state championship game in 2011.  The Huskies also won in 2006 and claimed the Fiesta Region Championship in 11 of the past 12 years and 10 straight since 2002.

All information is online www.gift2012.com