Michael McQuaid reports from the Island of Ireland and is the host of the Steelers Irish Podcast
July 27th is a special day for sporting fans across the island of Ireland. This year, there is a double significance.
As upwards of 80,000 Gaelic Football fans descend on Croke Park later today for the All Ireland Football Final between the kingdom of Kerry and the hills of Donegal, many will walk through the entrance of the Hogan Stand.
Many will glance at images and remnants of previous events that have taken place in Ireland's iconic stadium - with one standout memory for Steelers fans.
Over the next few weeks, Croke Park will be full of excitement for not only the action today, but the LGFA and Camogie finals, before Oasis rolls into town.
Then, history will be made in late September.
But, if we turn back the clock - the Steelers made history themselves on this day in the late 1990's.
On this day in 1997, the Pittsburgh Steelers played in Ireland for the first time, in what was the first NFL preseason game to take place on the island of Ireland, in a matchup against the Chicago Bears.
Twenty eight years on, history is about to be made again, with the Steelers returning to the Emerald Isle to take part in the first ever regular season NFL matchup on the island, with Pittsburgh as the designated home team.
It's easy to say that the game in 1997 was a memorable one for Irish fans - but if you can imagine almost thirty years ago, the game of American Football was in its early stages on the island in terms of fan development. This game was the fuel that so many needed to gain their knowledge and desire for the game.
At the time, the late Dan Rooney was overjoyed. The opportunity to bring his team home meant everything.
"I couldn't be happier that the Steelers will play the first National Football League game ever staged in Ireland," he said on arrival in Dublin.
James and Mary Rooney, the ancestors of Art Rooney, emigrated from Newry in County Down to North America during the Great Famine in the late 1840s. The island of Ireland holds great significance to this day for the Rooney family.
For both the Steelers and the Bears, they really made the most of the week in the capital - arriving in Dublin early.
Family members traveled with the players and coaching staff for what can only be described as a wholly unique experience.
During the week, there were golf activities and football clinics conducted by Steelers players. The team provided tours of Waterford Crystal, Northern Ireland, Dublin Castle, Phoenix Park among more areas. The Royal Dublin Society hosted a barbeque for both teams in Ballsbridge later in the week as well.
Back in 1997, Kordell Stewart was the main man for the franchise. On this week's edition of The Irish Steelers Podcast, 'Slash' remembers the game fondly.
"From what I remember, it was a great time", he said.
"Went to the hospital there, got to see and visit the kids. I also had a chance to play golf with Mike Tomczak and Coach Cowher."
"It was just a wonderful time for a little young pup coming out of college, having a chance to go on the road and travel abroad."
Stewart returned to Croke Park when the Pittsburgh Steelers announced marketing rights to the island of Ireland in May 2023. He also visited Newry, the ancestral home of the Rooney Family.
Speaking with Steelers.com in 2021, Steelers President Art Rooney II recalled the experience. "My father wanted to play a game in Dublin for a long time," he said. "He finally convinced another owner, the McCaskey family in Chicago, that this might be a good idea. We had pretty good attendance."
"It was great. It was a great game. A lot of fun."
Back in the late nineties, the opportunity to play in Ireland was the first time that many players had left the United States - which is different now, as so many of the team going to Dublin this September will have had experience playing in London, Germany or further afield.
Take Aaron Rodgers, for example. Provided all is well in September, this will be his fourth International game in the NFL in Dublin.
The former Green Bay Packers and New York Jets quarterback has played in London twice and in Mexico.
For former Steelers Tight End Mark Bruener, the week itself was very special. "We realized we're going to be there for a full week prior", he told The Irish Steelers Podcast last season.
"They allowed us to bring our families - so this was a big time event. This was not just a preseason game. If you think about pressure of being a first round pick, well, you want to think about the pressure that the players in general were experiencing because we were going to the Rooney family homeland and we wanted to make sure that we represented Mr. Rooney and his family the right way."
For Bruener, the week on the Emerald Isle was a different one - in a positive way.
"It was great because training camp is a real grind", he said. For you to be able to have a week away from training camp, it was an opportunity to kind of recharge the batteries. You were able to work during the early part of the day and then have the afternoon to experience the country and also experience the culture of Dublin and Ireland, which was incredible. My family went up to the waterfront and they took a train up there and were able to experience and do different things where they can actually really understand the culture of Ireland and really understand what Dublin has to provide…it was an incredible experience."
The main difference this year as we reminisce on the game in 1997 is not that of the memories of the game itself, it is about looking forward.
In a small number of weeks, the Steelers will return to Ireland and play against the Minnesota Vikings, with excitement building each and every day over here.
There will not be an empty seat in the stadium.
Instead of Kordell Stewart, Aaron Rodgers will run out on the hallowed turf.
When asked about the game, Slash gave a wide smile.
"I think it's awesome."
Roll on September.
