On Saturday, September 3, the Boston College football team will begin its 2016 season clear across the Atlantic Ocean, almost 3,000 miles from home ā and yet the Eagles will be among plenty of friends and supporters.
Ļć½¶Šć will take on Atlantic Coast Conference rival Georgia Tech at Dublinās Aviva Stadium in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, which will be televised on ESPN2. Some 6,000 tickets have been sold to Ļć½¶Šć football fans, making it one of the largest away-game turnouts in Ļć½¶Šć history. This will be the second time a Ļć½¶Šć football game has been played in Ireland; in 1988, Ļć½¶Šć defeated Army in the Emerald Isle Classic, held at Lansdowne Road Stadium in Dublin. Ā
The game will be the climax of several days of special events and activities held to mark the occasion, including a talk by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, a Mass to be concelebrated by University President William P. Leahy, S.J., and a Joint Faculty Symposium. It also caps months of transatlantic planning and preparation involving administrators, staff and faculty from across the University and representatives from the Irish and American academic and business communities ā especially Irish American Events Limited, a joint venture between Corporate.ie and Anthony Travel, both of which have been involved in the recent college football games in Ireland.
Ļć½¶Šćās involvement has been driven by a collaboration between Athletics, University Advancement, the Alumni Association, Office of the Provost, the Global Leadership Institute, the Church in the 21st Century Center, the Carroll School of Managementās Chief Executives Club of Boston and Ļć½¶Šć-Ireland.
āItās been a long process, and a lot of work. We are grateful and thrilled that so many of our alumni, parents and fans are traveling to Dublin to show their loyal support for Boston College,ā said Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations Joy Moore. āOur Dublin partners have gone above and beyond to create a memorable experience for all at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.ā
Moore and other organizers are quick to cite the phrase āmore than a gameā that has appeared in promotional material for the venture. While full of festivities ā including a parade, a āMarching Band Classicā and pep rallies ā they explained, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic also is a venue for Ļć½¶Šć, and Boston, to affirm its Irish roots, explore opportunities for new partnerships and initiatives, and examine economic, social, educational and other matters of shared interest.
āBoston College was founded in 1863 to provide a Jesuit education to Irish immigrants by John McElroy of the Society of Jesus, who was born in Northern Ireland,ā said Director of Athletics Brad Bates. āFrom our very origins, our relationship with Ireland as a university and as a city is extensive. This game is a once-in-a-generation experience for faculty, staff, students, administrators, alums, fans and the entire Boston community.ā
The Irish Institute Alumni Luncheon on August 31, for example, was highlighted by the appearance by Mitchell, a key architect of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that helped end the Northern Irish conflict.
The Joint Faculty Symposium on September 1, āInternational Collaborations in Education, Research and Innovation,ā includes talks from Fr. Leahy, Georgia Tech President G.P. āBudā Peterson and Patrick Prendergast, provost and president of Trinity College Dublin, which is hosting the event. Among those also speaking will be Ļć½¶Šć Vice Provost for Research Thomas Chiles and Ferris Professor of Physics and Physics Chairman Michael Naughton, Boston College students Michael Gordon, Christian Nicholson and Anders Bill, as well as faculty and students from Georgia Tech and Trinity College Dublin.
The inaugural Boston College Chief Executives Club Global Forum on September 2 will feature Coca-Cola Company Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent as keynote speaker, an event organized by Ļć½¶Šć Chief Executives Club Executive Director Warren Zola, State Street Corp. Chairman and CEO Joseph L. Hooley III '79 ā a Ļć½¶Šć trustee ā and Neil Naughton, deputy chairman of the Dublin-based Glen Dimplex Group and chair of the Irish Steering Committee for the Aer Lingus Football Classic.
āBoth Boston College and the city of Boston have deep roots in Ireland,ā said Zola. āGiven the history and tradition, it seems only natural to re-engage these two communities, and to do so by strengthening those business communities.ā
For information on the Aer Lingus Football Classic, visit the
āSean Smith | News & Public Affairs