Within hours of arriving to Ireland for the first time, Pittsburgh native Caley Sanguigni’s most prominent impression is that the Irish “love their swear words like a drunk Pittsburgher”.
“Our Uber driver who took us here was swearing up a storm,” she said.
Standing in Dublin Castle’s upper courtyard, which, for three days, is hosting an National Football League (NFL) festival, she said: “It’s like Pittsburgh invaded Dublin.”
Sanguigni is one of more than 70,000 people due to attend the first ever regular-season NFL game played in Dublin.
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Sunday’s Pittsburgh Steelers v Minnesota Vikings clash has drawn a significant number of visitors from the US, which, according to NFL UK and Ireland general manager Henry Hodgson, is not typical for games hosted outside the sport’s homeland.
He cited data based on expressions of interest logged before tickets went on sale earlier this year. A third of those intending to attend were from the US, another third was based in Ireland and the remainder were from the UK and the rest of Europe.
“That is not normally the make-up of those games,” he said.
For other games staged abroad, such as in the UK, he said between 60 and 70 per cent of tickets were typically purchased by locals.
“I think it speaks to Dublin as a bucket list location.”
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The NFL stages games abroad with a view to expanding the reach and popularity of “America’s Game”. With the number of Irish NFL fans, and viewership of the sport here, rising in recent years, he expects the occasion to be a “catalyst for further growth”.
Should Sunday’s game have the desired impact, something he said will be measured by the NFL and the Irish Government afterwards, more Irish fixtures could be on the cards.
There have been some high-profile attacks on tourists in Dublin in recent months and years, including a 2023 assault on New York native Stephen Termini, which prompted the US embassy in Dublin to warn visitors to Ireland to keep a “low profile”.
However, Hodgson maintains that Dublin and Ireland are perceived as being “incredibly safe” by US visitors.
The prospect of pro-Palestinian protests on Sunday was not a concern, he said, adding that sport can be a “unifying force” and there will be no attempt to ban any flags at the game, Palestinian or otherwise.
An Garda Síóchána expects arrangements put in place for the game at Croke Park to cause significant traffic disruption and delays. The force said a “large number” of uniformed gardaí will be deployed, as well specialist units including the public order unit, armed support unit and air support unit.
On Thursday, Dublin’s streets, pubs and tour buses were already awash with the signature black, gold and purple colours of the Steelers and Vikings.
Many of those who had travelled said Dublin felt “welcoming” and “safe” when compared to other European capitals, with almost all expressing shock at the presence of the sun.
An older couple arriving at Dublin Castle were overheard asking a steward how to pronounce “Galway”. That tourist hotspot, as well as the Cliffs of Moher, Killarney and Spike Island in Co Cork, appeared to be on the must-see lists of many of those who have planned extended stays.
Ashley Graf, a Vikings fan from Minnesota, travelled to Dublin with her mother Sherral, saying the country has been on their “bucket list” for some time.
“Win or lose, it’s still fun to be here. Everyone’s been really nice and helpful,” she said.
Sarah Roy, a native of Ottawa, Canada, who came to travel around the island and see the game, said the Irish have a “wonderful reputation” abroad.
“We’ve never heard anything bad about the Irish people and they’ve surpassed expectations,” she said.
Stacey Wilson and her daughter Brittany, from North Carolina, described Ireland as a “completely different world” to what they are used to back home.
“It is expensive, I’m not gonna lie, but we expected that,” she said.
