"Everybody was Irish That Week"

It has been almost 28 years since the Boston College football team played Army in the original Emerald Isle Classic in Dublin in 1988. But for thousands of Eagle alumni and fans, memories of the magical trip to Ireland are as fresh and as pleasant as that nation's dazzling green countryside.

BC fans will get another opportunity to watch their Eagles play in Dublin on Sept. 3, when BC opens the 2016 football campaign against ACC rival Georgia Tech in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at the city's sparkling Aviva Stadium.

MORE INFORMATION: Aer Lingus College Football Classic

The original football match in Ireland – an exciting 38-24 BC victory - was organized by former Eagles Jim O'Brien '60, who recalls that some 15,000 Americans – two-thirds of them BC alumni or fans – filled 47 aircraft during the course of a week for the trip across the pond.

And not one of them was disappointed, he contends.

"If they didn't have a good time, it was their own fault – not ours," O'Brien said. "There was no downside."

In addition to an exciting football game, the Eagles and Cadets brought the full pageantry and fellowship of college football to Ireland – much to the delight of the local citizenry.

"The Irish people loved all of the 'sideshows' as they called them, around the game itself. They loved the cheerleaders, the bands, the Army Cadet who parachuted into the stadium with the game ball – all what they called the 'razz-ma-tazz.'

"When the BC Band and a contingent of West Point Cadets paraded through St. Stephen's Green in the middle of Dublin, one old-timer said to me, 'This would bring a tear to a glass eye,'" O'Brien laughed.

"Even more importantly, a lot of friendships were made. A lot of business deals were started. I would reckon that just about everyone from the BC side who went to that game has gone back to Ireland at least once," he said, "Maybe two or three times. It created a whole new element of tourism and spending."

Business leaders estimated that the influx of college football visitors pumped $20 million into the Irish economy that year.

"I know that a lot of people in the Boston area got Irish sweaters for Christmas," O'Brien laughed.

The visit to Ireland was a great experience for students from both institutions who travelled to the game, as well. "I was so honored to not only have been a member of the Boston College Band, but to have BC afford me the opportunity to return to the home of my ancestors for the first time in my life," said Donna Morrissey '90, who played the flute for the BC Band on that initial football trip to Ireland.

Morrissey, who is now Director of National Partnerships for the American Red Cross, recalled that she was overwhelmed with the hospitality and graciousness of the Irish people.

"It truly felt like we were 'returning home,'" she said. "The members of the BC Band were made to feel like celebrities – whether it was marching through St. Stephen's Green or performing at the game. One night, we were all at a restaurant when the folks there asked us to perform 'For Boston' for them. They wound up inviting all of us into their homes for supper that night. They were just so gracious and wonderful.

"It was really a life-altering event for me," Morrissey continued. "It was just magical. It was just like coming home again – and everybody was Irish that week. I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in the upcoming game this year."

Boston College Athletics

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