I’VE SEEN SO FAR. IN FACT, I HAVE A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON FOR YOU. KELLY AND SHANNON, JUST BEHIND ME. THIS IS SWORDS CASTLE. IT WAS BUILT IN THE 13TH CENTURY FOR THE ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN. SO A LITTLE BIT OF IRISH HISTORY FOR YOU THIS AFTERNOON. MEANTIME, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE PRESENT. THE STEELERS HOST THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS. THAT GAME, OF COURSE, WILL BE SUNDAY 930 IN THE MORNING. YOU’LL SEE IT RIGHT HERE ON CHANNEL FOUR. NOW STEELER NATION HAS MADE ITSELF KNOWN, ITS PRESENCE BEING FELT ALREADY. IN FACT, OUR FLIGHT FROM DULLES HERE TO DUBLIN, FULL OF STEELER FANS AND WE FOUND FROM OTHER FANS THE SAME WAS TRUE. IN FACT, WE CAUGHT UP WITH A GROUP OF FANS AT THE TEAM STORE LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN DUBLIN. THAT’S RIGHT, A TEAM STORE. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE SHOPPING DISTRICT ON GRAFTON STREET. THE STEELERS PRO SHOP, THE OFFICIAL STORE. BUT WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT IS THEY’RE SELLING ITEMS SPECIAL FOR THE GAME THAT YOU CANNOT GET IN PITTSBURGH. IT’S ALSO DRAWING PITTSBURGH STEELERS FANS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, INCLUDING THIS WOMAN I SPOKE WITH. SHE GREW UP IN WESTMORELAND COUNTY, NOW IS IN FLORIDA, BUT WILL ALWAYS BLEED BLACK AND GOLD. IT’S A HUGE DEAL BECAUSE THIS IS IT’S IRELAND AND IT’S THE ROONEY’S AND STEELERS. SO THAT’S JUST YOU KNOW THE ICING ON THE CAKE. SO I FEEL LIKE IT’S WHEN WE’RE HOME TEAM ADVANTAGE. SO IT’S EVEN BETTER. SO WE’RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT. AND SHE TELLS ME THE BIGGEST THRILL WAS HER FLIGHT HERE ACTUALLY BECAUSE ON HER FLI
Steelers fans take over Dublin for Ireland’s first NFL regular-season game
Dublin embraces Pittsburgh Steelers, with fans from around the globe joining the buzz
Updated: 5:18 PM EDT Sep 23, 2025
Ireland is ready for some (American) football.Everywhere you look in Dublin, there are signs that the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings will be here Sunday.As Pittsburghers continued to arrive Tuesday, it was clear that Steeler Nation is a global thing. A walk around Dublin found those who call the Emerald Isle home were excited about the game at historic Croke Park — Ireland’s first regular-season NFL contest.How did Dublin get hooked on football? It all depends on who you ask. For one young fan, it was a video game.”A couple of years ago, when I was about 10, I went to a DVD store and my mom gave me five euro. She said, ‘Go off and get something for five euro.’ I go into the store, and I looked for a rugby game, and I saw this American football called ‘Madden,’ and I go, ‘That’s four euro, I’ll give that a go,’ and the rest is history,” said Rowan Withero, of Central Ireland.Road To Ireland: See more stories and videos from DublinIn the heart of the shopping district, a Steelers Pro Shop sells items made specifically for the Dublin game that you cannot get in Pittsburgh.”We’ve had everybody from every country in so far. We’ve had people from Ireland, we’ve had Mexico, other areas of South America, England, Germany, so it’s been great to meet all the fans,” store manager Martyn Barnett said. “Not just Pittsburghers at all. There’s a real buzz in the country for just American football in general.”The store is drawing Steelers fans from all over the world, including Alexis Barbash-Summer, who is originally from Westmoreland County and now lives in Florida but says she always bleeds black and gold. “It’s a huge deal because it’s Ireland, and it’s the Rooneys and the Steelers, so that’s just the icing on the cake,” Barbash-Summer said. “And we’re home-team advantage, so it’s even better. We’re very excited about it.”She said her biggest thrill so far was seeing Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis on the flight to Ireland.Steelers fans from all over the world are traveling for this game, but the people of Ireland are pulling for a Pittsburgh win. A billboard at Dublin Airport reminds everyone that the Vikings invaded Ireland more than 1,000 years ago and says, “No pressure lads.”
DUBLIN —
Ireland is ready for some (American) football.
Everywhere you look in Dublin, there are signs that the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings will be here Sunday.
As Pittsburghers continued to arrive Tuesday, it was clear that Steeler Nation is a global thing. A walk around Dublin found those who call the Emerald Isle home were excited about the game at historic Croke Park — Ireland’s first regular-season NFL contest.
How did Dublin get hooked on football? It all depends on who you ask. For one young fan, it was a video game.
“A couple of years ago, when I was about 10, I went to a DVD store and my mom gave me five euro. She said, ‘Go off and get something for five euro.’ I go into the store, and I looked for a rugby game, and I saw this American football called ‘Madden,’ and I go, ‘That’s four euro, I’ll give that a go,’ and the rest is history,” said Rowan Withero, of Central Ireland.
Road To Ireland: See more stories and videos from Dublin
In the heart of the shopping district, a Steelers Pro Shop sells items made specifically for the Dublin game that you cannot get in Pittsburgh.
“We’ve had everybody from every country in so far. We’ve had people from Ireland, we’ve had Mexico, other areas of South America, England, Germany, so it’s been great to meet all the fans,” store manager Martyn Barnett said. “Not just Pittsburghers at all. There’s a real buzz in the country for just American football in general.”
The store is drawing Steelers fans from all over the world, including Alexis Barbash-Summer, who is originally from Westmoreland County and now lives in Florida but says she always bleeds black and gold.
“It’s a huge deal because it’s Ireland, and it’s the Rooneys and the Steelers, so that’s just the icing on the cake,” Barbash-Summer said. “And we’re home-team advantage, so it’s even better. We’re very excited about it.”
She said her biggest thrill so far was seeing Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis on the flight to Ireland.
Steelers fans from all over the world are traveling for this game, but the people of Ireland are pulling for a Pittsburgh win. A billboard at Dublin Airport reminds everyone that the Vikings invaded Ireland more than 1,000 years ago and says, “No pressure lads.”