University of Limerick Vikings
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| School | University of Limerick |
|---|---|
| Colors | Blue and Yellow |
Head coach | Darragh O'Callaghan[1] |
The University of Limerick Vikings are an American football team in Limerick, Ireland. The team is affiliated with the University of Limerick, and compete in American Football Ireland (AFI). The team currently competes in AFI's top-level Premier Division.[2] The Vikings have won three AFI Shamrock Bowl titles – in 2007, 2008 and 2009, as well as winning the EFAF Atlantic Cup in 2010.[3] The Vikings also won their first AFI Division 1 Bowl in 2023, concluding a perfect 10-0 season and securing their promotion to the Premier division.[4] While mainly competing in the AFI Premier Division, the team also plays flag football in the Emerald Bowl South.[5] They competed in their first international flag tournament in 2026, placing 6th at the Copenhagen Bowl in Denmark.[6]
History
[edit]Formation and early years
[edit]Established in 1999, the team played mostly flag football until late 2001, when they joined the IAFL winter league.[7] In UL's first-ever game, they took the field on the road to the eventual Shamrock Bowl champion Dublin Rebels and were beaten 48–0. The Vikings lost their first four games, but on 2 December 2001, they recorded their first-ever win, 12–8, over the Dublin Dragons in Limerick.[citation needed]
In 2002, the Vikings won every game they played thanks to a team of mostly American exchange students.[citation needed] As league champions, they progressed directly to the Shamrock Bowl. However, as most of the American students had returned home, UL was well beaten by the Carrickfergus Knights, 66–0.[citation needed] The 2003 and 2004 seasons were devoted to building a base of home-grown Irish players,[citation needed] and in 2005 the Vikings broke their three-year, 13-game losing streak with a 26–22 victory over rival Cork Admirals.[citation needed]
Late 2000s to 2010
[edit]The UL Vikings finished the 2006 season with a 5–2–1 record, led by their defence, which gave up only 6 points in five home games.[citation needed] The Vikings made the postseason for the first time in four years and defeated the Carrickfergus Knights on the road to make the Shamrock Bowl for the second time.[citation needed] However, a strong Dublin Rebels team upended the Vikings 44–12 to claim their fourth consecutive Shamrock Bowl victory.[tone]
In the 2007 season, the Vikings won every game they played and entered the playoffs as Shamrock Bowl favourites. Reaching the final, they contested the first all-Munster Shamrock Bowl against the Cork Admirals, which was held at the UL Sports Grounds on 29 July 2007. The Vikings won a close fought match by a margin of 22–14 and claimed their first-ever Shamrock Bowl title.[citation needed]
The Vikings finished the 2008 regular season with a 7–1 record, winning their second consecutive Southern Division title. The sole loss came at home at the hands of fellow Shamrock Bowl finalists Dublin Rebels. The Vikings finished the 2008 season as the number two seeds and, after defeating the Belfast Trojans 42–8 in the semi-final, proceeded to their third consecutive Shamrock Bowl. The bowl took place on 10 August 2008 at CIT Stadium in Cork against the number one seeded Dublin Rebels. The Vikings had a 14–3 lead going into half-time, and thanks to a blocked field goal in the fourth quarter, the Vikings won their second Shamrock Bowl in two years, defeating the Rebels 14–12.[citation needed]
In 2009, the UL Vikings finished as the number two seed for the third year in a row. They met the Carrickfergus Knights at home in the semi-finals. Leading 20–0 at half time, the game was abandoned shortly after the break when a Knights player was seriously injured, and the Vikings advanced to their fourth Shamrock Bowl in a row. The Vikings met the Dublin Rebels in Belfast for Shamrock Bowl XXIII. The score was tied at 6–6 after four-quarters, which meant the Shamrock Bowl would go into overtime for the first time in the game's history. In overtime, UL's kicker successfully converted a field goal and the Vikings claimed their third Shamrock Bowl in three years.[8]
In 2010, the Vikings reached the playoffs for a fifth successive year. Their only defeat once again came at the hands of the Dublin Rebels. In June 2010, the Vikings won their first international title, by winning the second EFAF Atlantic Cup, held in Dublin. This win, along with their domestic performances, elevated the Vikings into the EFAF Top 20 rankings for the first time in the team's history, debuting at No. 19.[9] The Vikings success in the Atlantic Cup resulted in them being named the IFAF "Team of the Month" for June 2010 – the first Irish team to win this award.[10] The Vikings proceeded to their fifth Shamrock Bowl in five years by beating the Carrickfergus Knights 20–0 in their 2010 Shamrock Bowl semi-final. The Vikings failed to make it four Shamrock Bowl victories in a row as they lost in the Shamrock Bowl to the Dublin Rebels, 15–0.[citation needed]
2020s
[edit]In 2023, the Vikings recorded a perfect 10-0 season, winning the AFI Division One title and regaining promotion to the Premier Division, beating the Louth Mavericks 6-2[11]. In flag, the team reached the final of the Glas Bowl in 2025, losing out to the University of Ulster Elks,[12] before ultimately getting revenge[tone] in their next meeting at Intervarsities in 2026, beating the Elks 23-12.[13]
Season-by-season records
[edit]Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties
Tackle football
[edit]| Year | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4th IAFL | – |
| 2002 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1st IAFL | Lost Shamrock Bowl XVI (Knights) |
| 2003 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3rd IAFL Division 2 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 6th IAFL | – |
| 2005 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 5th IAFL | – |
| 2006 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3rd IAFL | Lost Shamrock Bowl XX (Rebels) |
| 2007 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1st IAFL Southern Division | Won Shamrock Bowl XXI (Admirals) |
| 2008 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1st IAFL Southern Division | Won Shamrock Bowl XXII (Rebels) |
| 2009 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2nd IAFL | Won Shamrock Bowl XXIII (Rebels) |
| 2010 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1st IAFL Southern Division | Lost Shamrock Bowl XXIV (Rebels) |
| 2011 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1st IAFL Southern Division | Lost Shamrock Bowl XXV (Rebels) |
| 2012 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1st IAFL | Lost Shamrock Bowl XXVI (Trojans) |
| 2013 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2nd IAFL Southern Division | Lost Shamrock Bowl Semi-final (Trojans) |
| 2014 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2nd IAFL Southern Division | Lost Shamrock Bowl Semi-final (Trojans) |
| 2015 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2nd IAFL Southern Division | Lost Shamrock Bowl Semi-final (Trojans) |
| 2016 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2nd IAFL Southern Division | Lost Shamrock Bowl Semi-final (Dublin Rebels) |
| 2017 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2nd IAFL Southern Division | Lost Shamrock Bowl Semi-final (Carrickfergus Knights) |
| 2018 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4th IAFL Southern Division | – |
| 2019 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 5th IAFL | – |
| 2022 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2nd AFI Division 1 | Lost AFI Division One Bowl (Westmeath Minotaurs) |
| 2023 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1st AFI Division 1 | Won AFI Division One Bowl (Louth Mavericks) |
| 2024 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 7th AFI Premier Division[14] | – |
| 2025 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 7th AFI Premier Division[15] | – |
| 2026 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 5th AFI Premier Division[16] | – |
Flag football
[edit]| Year | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results | Intervarsity results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1st AFI Mixed Flag Division One South[17] | Lost wildcard game (Cork Admirals) | Lost semi-final (Maynooth Hurricanes)[18] |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2nd AFI Mixed Flag Division One South/Central[19] | Lost Glas Bowl (University of Ulster Elks) | Won Intervarsity final (University of Ulster Elks)[13] |
References
[edit]- ↑ "University of Limerick Vikings". americanfootball.ie. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
Team Contacts [..] Club President: Darragh O'Callaghan [..] Senior Kitted Head Coach: Darragh O'Callaghan
- ↑ "2025 AFI Season Preview – Gaelic Gridiron". gaelicgridiron.com.
- ↑ "UL Vikings victorious in Atlantic Cup final – American Football Ireland". americanfootball.ie. Archived from the original on 17 March 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
- ↑ "American Football Ireland 2024 Season Preview – Gaelic Gridiron". gaelicgridiron.com.
- ↑ "MIXED FLAG – American Football Ireland". americanfootball.ie. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "Instagram - This weekend, our Vikings Flag squad travelled to Denmark to take part in the Copenhagen Bowl, our first ever international tournament". ul_vikings. Retrieved 18 July 2026 – via instagram.com.
- ↑ "European Cup group announced for Irish American football team". The Sunday Business Post. 4 February 2007. Archived from the original on 24 February 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2008.
- ↑ "Vikings Winning FG in OT - Shamrock Bowl XXIII". carrickfergusknights. 13 August 2009 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "EFAF | Top 20". efaf.info. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- ↑ "IFAF - Featured Articles - JUNE 2010 TEAM OF THE MONTH - UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK VIKINGS". ifaf.org. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.
- ↑ "UL Vikings vs Louth Mavericks – American Football Ireland". americanfootball.ie. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "The University of Ulster Elks are Glas Bowl VI Champions! – American Football Ireland". americanfootball.ie. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Instagram - AFI Flag Intervarsities Champions". americanfootballireland. Retrieved 18 July 2026 – via instagram.com.
- ↑ "Kitted Premier Division 2024 – American Football Ireland". americanfootball.ie. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "Kitted Premier Division 2025 – American Football Ireland". americanfootball.ie. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "Kitted Premier Division 2026 – American Football Ireland". americanfootball.ie. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "Mixed Flag Division One 2024 – American Football Ireland". americanfootball.ie. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "Instagram - Saturday February 22nd saw the Hurricanes head to Limerick for the third annual Inter Varsities tournament". maynoothamericanfootball. Retrieved 18 July 2026 – via instagram.com.
- ↑ "Mixed Flag Division One 2025 – American Football Ireland". americanfootball.ie. Retrieved 18 July 2026.