'Bigger than football' - the Dublin NFL game 100 years in the making

NFL: Minnesota Vikings v Pittsburgh Steelers

Venue: Croke Park, Dublin Date: Sunday 28 September Kick-off: 14:30 BST

Coverage: Live matter commentary connected nan BBC Sport website and app from 13:00

When nan anthems play astatine Sunday's NFL crippled successful Dublin, it will deed different for everyone involved.

For nan Irish fans who person longed for nan NFL to return aft a solitary pre-season crippled successful 1997.

For nan convention itself, which has shown reverence for being granted nan opportunity to play successful a historical institution specified arsenic Croke Park.

For nan fans and players visiting from America, who spot this arsenic a bucket-list trip.

And mostly it will deed different for nan Rooney family, who person brought 1 of nan NFL's most-storied franchises to their homeland, almost 100 years aft their Irish ancestors founded nan Pittsburgh Steelers.

"This crippled is bigger than shot - because of nan Rooney family and because we're successful Ireland," erstwhile Steelers subordinate Ike Taylor told nan BBC.

Art Rooney's great-grandparents were among nan estimated 2 cardinal Irish group who emigrated to North America during nan Great Famine.

After leaving Newry, County Down successful nan 1840s, they spent clip successful Wales and Canada earlier settling successful Pennsylvania.

Art was calved location successful 1901 and went connected to go a multi-sport athlete, earning an diversion scholarship. He played and managed insignificant convention shot and semi-pro shot teams earlier buying an NFL franchise successful 1933 for $2,500 (£1870).

After initially sharing nan sanction of Pittsburgh's shot squad - nan Pirates - nan shot squad was renamed successful nickname of nan city's alloy manufacture successful 1940.

The Steelers struggled for decades, having a winning grounds successful only 8 retired of 36 seasons earlier Chuck Noll became caput coach successful 1969.

Dan Rooney, nan eldest of Art's 5 sons, began moving successful nan team's beforehand agency astatine an early property and was 36 erstwhile he became wide head and interviewed Noll.

That sparked a translator successful nan team's fortunes. They moved into a caller stadium successful 1970 and from 1975, nan Steelers won 4 Super Bowls successful six years. They won 2 much successful 2006 and 2009, and now stock nan grounds for astir Super Bowl wins pinch nan New England Patriots.

Dan Rooney was already moving nan Steelers' day-to-day operations earlier becoming president successful 1975.

A twelvemonth later, he formed a kindness pinch Sir Anthony O'Reilly, nan erstwhile Ireland rugby subordinate who astatine nan clip was president of Pittsburgh-based nutrient elephantine HJ Heinz.

Now known arsenic nan Ireland Funds, nan philanthropic group has raised much than $650m (£485m) for thousands of Irish organisations astir nan world.

And arsenic nan NFL began to grow globally, playing pre-season games overseas from 1986, Rooney pushed for a crippled successful Ireland and succeeded successful 1997, pinch nan Steelers facing nan Chicago Bears astatine Croke Park.

He besides oversaw cardinal changes to nan convention while serving connected respective NFL committees, including nan 2003 preamble of the Rooney Rule, which requires an taste number campaigner to beryllium interviewed for each caput coach and wide head vacancy.

That twelvemonth nan eldest of his 9 children, Art II, assumed operational power arsenic Steelers president and from 2009 to 2012, Rooney served arsenic nan US Ambassador to Ireland, making judge he visited each 32 counties connected nan land of Ireland.

"The thought was to fto nan group cognize that America cared," he said. "We wanted to do nan correct thing."

In 2000, Rooney followed his begetter into nan Pro Football Hall of Fame and successful 2013 was inducted into nan Irish American Hall of Fame.

Upon his death aged 84 successful 2017, Irish President Michael D Higgins said Rooney was "deeply committed to Ireland" and that his contributions to bid and reconciliation had near a "real and tangible legacy".

The Steelers organisation is very overmuch a family business for nan Rooneys. Five members of nan family still activity successful nan beforehand office, including Art II's eldest boy Dan.

He is presently head of business improvement and strategy and this week was portion of a Steelers contingent that visited Newry, an hour's thrust from Dublin, conscionable crossed nan separator successful Northern Ireland.

"[While I was] increasing up, my grandfather and begetter ever talked astir their emotion for Ireland, truthful this is simply a dream travel existent for nan Rooney family," he told nan BBC.

"Making judge we prosecute pinch nan land and its group is thing my grandfather cared profoundly about, and we're doing that successful a large measurement this week."

While backmost successful his ancestors' hometown, Rooney announced 2 scholarships for section pupils via nan Ireland Funds, on pinch grants for their schools.

The squad besides held a emblem shot arena successful Belfast, 1 of galore organization events they person organised crossed nan land of Ireland earlier Dublin becomes nan sixth world metropolis to big a regular-season NFL game.

Almost 1 successful 10 Americans person Irish practice - including NFL executive Peter O'Reilly and Pittsburgh's caller backmost Aaron Rodgers - which is partially why much than 30,000 world visitors are expected this weekend.

"There's not different world crippled wherever that relationship betwixt nan team, nan owners and nan state is this deep," said O'Reilly.

"Seeing NFL fans successful Dublin and specified an iconic stadium being transformed, it's really special."

After arriving successful Dublin connected Friday morning, respective players said squad president Art Rooney II said to nan squad connected Wednesday, reiterating nan value of nan crippled and playing astatine Croke Park.

Rodgers, a four-time MVP, added: "This crippled intends a batch to each of america truthful we want to correspond nan squad and nan Rooney bequest well."

While Rodgers is caller to nan organisation, caput coach Mike Tomlin has been nan Steelers' caput coach since 2007 and remembers their erstwhile president fondly.

"I deliberation a batch astir nan precocious Ambassador Rooney and really fired up he would beryllium astir this trip, and really important nan improvement of this travel was for him," he said.

"Man, you talk astir a feline who surely had a batch of passion for Ireland, and evidently for nan Steelers, and past serving arsenic Ambassador. I'm judge he's going to beryllium smiling down astatine america this weekend."