By Paddy Tierney
Copyright belfastlive
The Pittsburgh Steelers and members of the Rooney family visited Belfast and Newry on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s historic first-ever regular season game in Ireland when the Steelers take on the Minnesota Vikings at Dublin’s Croke Park. Steelers President Art Rooney II and his son, Dan Rooney, Vice President of Business Development and Strategy with the Steelers, hosted a youth flag football event in Belfast and visited Newry to award two school students with The Dan and Patricia Rooney “No Mind Left Behind” scholarship. They were joined by Steelers legends and Super Bowl champions Jerome Bettis and Ike Taylor. The Rooney family has deep connections to Ireland. Art’s father, the late Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney Sr, served as U.S Ambassador to Ireland (2009–2012) and co-founded The Ireland Funds, a philanthropic network supporting peace, culture, education, and community development across Ireland and beyond. Read more: From Green Bay to Dublin Bay – What NFL team would your county be? Read more: The Co Down roots of the Pittsburgh Steelers explored ahead of landmark NFL tie in Croke Park Approximately 90 children aged between 11 – 15 from 9 schools took part in the Steelers Flag Football Clinic, presented by Aer Lingus and UPMC, held in Colin Glen Leisure Centre in Belfast. Boys and girls experienced the sport while receiving expert flag football coaching from the Steelers legends. The Rooneys then travelled to their ancestral home of Newry, where they visited St Mary’s High School and announced Tegan McKibbin and Jodie Sterritt as recipients of The Dan and Patricia Rooney “No Mind Left Behind” scholarship. The scholarship, part of the No Mind Left Behind program developed by The Ireland Funds, supports promising students in pursuing university study. Both recipients are progressing to higher education following their A-Level examinations, and will each receive £4,000 annually for the duration of their studies. This year, the No Mind Left Behind initiative will provide scholarships to over 450 students from 90+ schools in 23 counties across the island of Ireland. Today marked the first time scholarships have been awarded in Newry. Additionally, St Mary’s High School and Newry High School will each receive a donation worth $10,000 USD, jointly funded by The Ireland Funds and the Steelers Charities, to assist with school supplies and additional resources needed to improve learning and development. “Our family’s connection to this region is deeply personal,” said Steelers Vice President of Business Development and Strategy Dan Rooney. “We are proud to visit Northern Ireland today to support local youth development, education, and the growth of American football.” The Steelers have steadily expanded their presence in Ireland since securing rights under the NFL’s Global Markets Program in 2023. A six-time Super Bowl champion, the team last played at Croke Park in 1997 in a pre-season game and now returns to face the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland’s first NFL regular season game. To mark the occasion, the Steelers will host Black and Gold festivities across Dublin, including a free three-day tailgate and the transformation of Fitzsimons Temple Bar into a fan hub. Some tickets are still available for the game and will continue to be released in the build-up to Sunday’s showdown.
