55-598: [REDACTED] This article relies excessively on references to primary sources . Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources . Find sources: "Craigavon Cowboys" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( September 2024 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this message ) [REDACTED] The topic of this article may not meet Misplaced Pages's notability guideline for sports and athletics . Please help to demonstrate
110-674: A 34–6 defeat. 2003 turned out to be one of the best years ever for Irish American football. Three more teams – Cork, Belfast & Craigavon – joined the IAFL bringing the total up to seven. The Carrickfergus Knights, Cork Admirals, Dublin Dragons and Dublin Rebels played in Division 1. The Belfast Bulls, Craigavon Cowboys and UL Vikings played in Division 2 which was created to help development teams get competitive game experience. Membership in
165-526: A leisure centre, library, shopping centre, civic centre, a large park with artificial lakes, playing fields, a petting zoo, public gardens and an artificial ski slope. Craigavon Civic Centre was built at a cost of £3 million and was officially opened by the Duke of Abercorn in April 1983. There was controversy over the decision to build a 'new city' in the mainly Protestant / unionist east rather than to develop
220-616: A record attendance for an IAFL game, is regarded as the best ever Shamrock Bowl. 2004 also saw the return of the Ireland team. The team played two fixtures including the inaugural Celtic Classic against John Carroll University from Ohio , USA. In 2005 the same six teams competed for the Shamrock Bowl. Again the Rebels ran out victorious with a tough fought win against the Belfast Bulls in the big game. The 2006 season saw
275-425: Is a town in northern County Armagh , Northern Ireland . Its construction began in 1965 and it was named after the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland : James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon . It was intended to be the heart of a new linear city incorporating Lurgan and Portadown , but this plan was mostly abandoned and later described as having been flawed. Among local people today, "Craigavon" refers to
330-546: Is a list of townlands within Craigavon's urban area (excluding Lurgan, Portadown and Bleary), along with their likely etymologies : For census purposes, Craigavon is not treated as a separate entity by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) . Instead, it is combined with Portadown , Lurgan and Bleary to form the "Craigavon Urban Area". This makes it difficult to glean an accurate demographic picture of
385-555: Is also a watersports centre, golf course and ski slope in the area. In most of Craigavon, motor vehicles are completely separated from pedestrians, and roundabouts are used extensively. It hosted the headquarters of the former Craigavon Borough Council . Craigavon sometimes refers to the much larger Craigavon Urban Area , a name used by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency , which includes Craigavon, Lurgan, Portadown and Aghacommon . Craigavon
440-416: Is that any new teams, such as the up-coming development teams, would easily fit into the divisional format without increasing the length of the season, which runs from February/March to Early August. The top team from each division all go into the play-offs and the two second placed teams, with the highest numbers of points, playing a wildcard game for the 4th spot. The winners of the playoffs battle it out for
495-602: Is the M1 motorway , which runs parallel with the railway line. The area around Craigavon Lakes is a public park and wildlife haven made up of woodland with walking trails. In 2017 it was awarded the best park in Northern Ireland by Fields in Trust . Recent plans to build in the park, beginning with a college campus, have met opposition from some locals. Much of Craigavon is within the civil parish of Seagoe. The following
550-403: Is the Division 1 competition, sometimes known as IAFL 1 . Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties League Table Format In 2007, to cope with the growing number of teams, a divisional format was introduced to replace the old league format. In it, the existing teams were divided into three divisions, Northern, Central and Southern, three teams in each. The idea of the divisional format
605-491: Is today used by locals to refer to the area between Lurgan and Portadown, and many citizens of those towns resent being identified with the 'new city' of Craigavon. The intention to integrate the new city also largely failed, with those who were encouraged to move from other parts of Northern Ireland generally choosing where to live based on proximity to each respective town, i.e., Catholics/nationalists moved to estates close to Lurgan, whereas Protestants/unionists gravitated towards
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#1732786994315660-613: The AFI Youth Plate in 2019. The Cork Admirals are the current champions. The Flag Football section is split into 2 separate conferences: The Premier Division consists of eight senior teams. For the 2021 season, the Premier Division was planned to consist of: The league consists of two tiers of football, with the first tier being the Premier Division, also known as the SBC (Shamrock Bowl Conference). The second tier
715-736: The DCU Saints . The season continued throughout April and May, with the IAFL College Championship Game eventually been rescheduled on 3 June, with the UL Vikings beating the DCU Saints 50–2. During the course of the regular season, two non-league games were played against foreign opposition, with CMS College Stags beating the Tallaght Outlaws 67–0 and, in the Claddagh Classic on 2 June,
770-3258: The Irish American Football League . Early success for the Cowboys seen them take home the Shamrock Bowl Crown in 1986, 1990 and 1992. The club folded in the mid 1990s but reformed again in 2005, winning the DV8 (Development) League in 2009. After winning the 2009 DV8 championship, the Cowboys were promoted to the top division in Ireland. Honours [ edit ] Shamrock Bowl I Winners - 1986 Shamrock Bowl II Finalists - 1987 Shamrock Bowl V Winners - 1990 Shamrock Bowl VII Winners - 1992 IAFL DV8 Champions - 2009 IAFA Junior League Champions - 2014 IAFA Junior League Champions - 2015 Emerald Bowl II Champions - 2016 IAFA Junior Champions - 2016 IAFL 1 Bowl Finalists - 2017 IAFL 1 Bowl Finalists - 2018 Emerald Bowl V Champions - 2018 References [ edit ] ^ "Home" . craigavoncowboys.co.uk . External links [ edit ] IAFL official website Cowboys Official Website Cowboys Twitter Page v t e American Football Ireland Championship game Shamrock Bowl IAFL Premier Division Belfast Trojans Belfast Knights Craigavon Cowboys Cork Admirals Dublin Rebels South Dublin Panthers UCD Westmeath Minotaurs IAFL Division 1 Cill Dara Crusaders Trinity College Derry/Donegal Vipers UL Vikings West Dublin Rhinos Wexford Eagles Former competitions IAFL Division 2 IAFL College Bowl Selected seasons 2008 2011 Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Craigavon_Cowboys&oldid=1248154011 " Categories : American football teams in Northern Ireland 1986 establishments in Northern Ireland American football teams established in 1986 Sports clubs and teams in County Armagh Craigavon Hidden categories: Articles lacking reliable references from September 2024 All articles lacking reliable references Articles with topics of unclear notability from September 2024 All articles with topics of unclear notability Sport articles with topics of unclear notability All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2024 Official website different in Wikidata and Misplaced Pages Craigavon, County Armagh Craigavon ( / k r eɪ ˈ ɡ æ v ən / kray- GAV -ən ; Irish : Creag Abhann )
825-627: The Lurgan and Portadown railway stations with a single high speed terminal in central Craigavon. The Craigavon Area Hospital was built to replace small hospitals in the two towns. The design of Craigavon was based on Modernism and imbued with the spirit of the age. The planners separated motor vehicles from pedestrians and cyclists wherever possible, creating a network of paths allowing residents to travel across Craigavon without encountering traffic. The road network for motor vehicles used roundabouts instead of traffic lights at junctions, giving
880-604: The Shamrock Bowl . The 2007 IAFL season, complete with new divisional format was due to begin on 4 March with the College Championship game between DCU Saints and UL Vikings , but the game was delayed due to rain, so the season proper began on 25 March when the Cork Admirals beat the Belfast Bulls, the UL Vikings beat the Tallaght Outlaws and Dublin Rebels (then Shamrock Bowl Holders) beat
935-658: The Dublin Celts. The Cowboys won the first title played in Dublin. The Celts then went on to be the number 1 team in Ireland for the next 10 years, winning the Shamrock Bowl 5 times. The Celts were also the First Irish team to represent Ireland in the Euro Bowl – the then Champions league of European American Football. During 2000, plans were made to resurrect the IAFL. The only fixture to be played in Ireland that year
990-829: The IAFL increased significantly and the standard of play was higher than in previous years. In June 2003, the Dublin Rebels returned to Belgium to defend their Charleroi Trophy title. They were joined in Belgium by the Carrickfergus Knights. The Rebels won the Charleroi Trophy, defeating local team, the Charleroi Cougars in the Tournament final. The Knights came third, ahead of French team, Celtes de Mitry. The Knights finished first in
1045-799: The Irish American Football League (IAFL). A new league structure and administration was put in place and the IAFL helped form the Irish American Football Association (IAFA) – the new national governing body for the sport. During 2002, the sport found a new lease on life in Ireland. Again, four teams contested the league with the Carrickfergus Knights defeating the UL Vikings in Shamrock Bowl XVI. The year saw some significant developments. Firstly, three development teams applied to join
1100-867: The Portadown area. A certain degree of integration that existed when Craigavon was first built in the 1960s crumbled in the 1970s against a backdrop of escalating violence; in one week in 1972, as a result of Loyalist intimidation, fifty families fled the Killicomaine estate: half the Catholic population in the area. By the end of the year, another twenty had gone. Protestants were also targeted and five narrowly escaped being burnt to death in their fish and chip shop in Churchill Park in February 1973. There were many violent incidents in Craigavon related to
1155-641: The Team USA All-Stars beat the Carrickfergus Knights 26–0. Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Northern Division Central Division Southern Division The play-off positions were decided on the last day of the regular season, with the Belfast Bulls, Dublin Rebels and UL Vikings securing their respective Divisional titles and the Belfast Trojans and Cork Admirals as the wildcard teams. Cork Admirals won
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#17327869943151210-479: The Troubles , in which a number of people were killed. On 11 November 1982, three Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) members—Eugene Toman (21), Sean Burns (21) and Gervaise McKerr (31)—were shot dead by undercover Royal Ulster Constabulary officers at a vehicle checkpoint on Tullygally East Road. They were unarmed, leading to claims of a shoot-to-kill policy by security forces. The RUC denied this, saying
1265-634: The UVF and police. On 14 November 1991 the UVF shot dead three more civilians on Carbet Road as they were driving home from work at the Hyster forklift factory: Desmond Rogers (54), Fergus Magee (28), and John Lavery (27). The Continuity IRA shot dead PSNI officer Stephen Carroll in Craigavon on 10 March 2009, the first police fatality in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Craigavon lies on an area of flat land near
1320-636: The addition of new teams the DCU Saints and Dublin Marshals to the IAFL making the total number of competing teams, 8, the highest it had been in many years. The UL Vikings faced the Rebels in the Bowl game, which the Rebels won, making it their fourth consecutive Shamrock Bowl win. The 2007 season was contested by nine teams, following the addition of the Belfast Trojans and the Tallaght Outlaws to
1375-412: The area between the two towns. It is built beside a pair of artificial lakes and is made up of a large residential area (Brownlow), a second smaller one (Mandeville), plus a central area (Highfield) that includes a substantial shopping centre, a courthouse and the district council headquarters. The area around the lakes is a public park and wildlife haven made up of woodland with walking trails. There
1430-550: The area that is generally regarded as Craigavon – the mainly residential area between Portadown and Lurgan. This area roughly corresponds with the Drumgask, Drumgor, Kernan and (part of) Taghnevan electoral wards. Through the late 1970s and early 1980s, Craigavon hosted many families of Refugees of the Vietnam War . On Census Day (21 March 2021) the usually resident population of Craigavon Urban Area including Aghacommon
1485-424: The basics of football in a competitive league setting. This would also help teams who are just starting out to get some playing time and reduce the pressure to find new players, which has plagued new IAFL teams in the past. The IAFL format was changed to a single division rather than the previous North, South and Central divisions in which each team would play eight matches, seeded to make the league more competitive.
1540-401: The belief that Craigavon would help spread development away from Belfast. It was hoped that residents of Belfast would be attracted by the suburban nature of Craigavon's design and that business would see it as an interesting alternative. Cash incentives were offered to some families moving to Craigavon. The M1 motorway was built to link the new city with Belfast and there were plans to replace
1595-430: The circumstances". Locally-born writer Newton Emerson said: "As a child, I didn't notice the failure of Craigavon. The new city was an enormous playground of hidden cycle paths, roads that ended suddenly in the middle of nowhere and futuristic buildings standing empty in an artificial landscape". Craigavon became notorious for its many roundabouts. The identity of a new city never really caught on. The name 'Craigavon'
1650-480: The destruction of woodland which is home to endangered wildlife . Craigavon is twinned with: American Football Ireland American Football Ireland (AFI) is the national governing body for American football on the island of Ireland . Founded in 1984, it is entirely run by volunteers and played by amateurs. The first Shamrock Bowl game was played in 1986 between the Craigavon Cowboys and
1705-510: The field and did not fail to deliver. 6 teams played a full competitive league schedule and the standard of play was higher than at any time in the previous 10 years. IAFL membership reached an all-time high of more than 300 registered players. All teams had bigger rosters and most of the rookies were in the 17–21 age group. The Dublin Rebels defeated the Carrickfergus Knights 24–22 in Shamrock Bowl XVIII. The game, which attracted
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1760-589: The first ever IAFL Allstar game in which the North defeated the South 7–0. During the 2003–2004 off-season, Coach Phil DeMonte (ex-Oxford University Cavaliers) was appointed as the head coach of the Irish National Team and IAFL Allstars. Coach DeMonte was also tasked to help with the education of coaches throughout Ireland. 2004 promised to be the best season ever for Irish American football both on and off
1815-458: The format for the 2008 season. It was decided to gradually phase out under-18 kitted players and start a junior (i.e. 16–18 age group) league. It was also decided to run a DV-8's league, where development teams and entrants from already established teams could field rookies in 8 a side matches. This would also help teams who were "just starting out" to get some playing time and reduce the pressure to find new players, which has plagued new IAFL teams in
1870-497: The league for 2003. Secondly, an Irish team won an International club competition for the first time ever. In June, the Dublin Rebels travelled to Belgium and won the Charleroi Trophy against the Charleroi Cougars and two French teams – Reims Champs and Forbach Taupes. The season finished on a high note with the visit of Team Canada, the Canadian U21 team. The Carrickfergus Knights played Team Canada in Dublin and performed well in
1925-532: The league to qualify for the Shamrock Bowl. The Rebels beat the Cork Admirals in the semi-final and then defeated the Knights 24–12 in a spectacular Shamrock Bowl XVII, played at Suttonians RFC in Dublin. The game attracted a large crowd and some media attention – highlights were broadcast on TV3 in Ireland and Sky Sports throughout Europe. The Belfast Bulls won the Division 2 title. The season finished with
1980-492: The league, with a total of 11 teams taking part in the senior IAFL and 3 teams plus a number of rookie teams provided by some of the larger senior teams in the DV-8's. The league format looked like this: Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Northern Division Central Division Southern Division DV8's The 2012 IAFL season was contested by a record 11 teams. The Tullamore Phoenix stepped up from DV8s level to join
2035-490: The league. The 2007 Shamrock Bowl was won by UL Vikings . After the 2008 season, the Tallaght Outlaws decided to stop playing in the league, after playing two full seasons in the league. AFI oversee the administration of 3 codes: Within the Senior American Football code, there are 3 separate divisions: The Youth American Football section expands year on year, with a record 7 teams competing for
2090-481: The mainly Catholic city of Derry . There was also controversy over the decision to name it after The 1st Viscount Craigavon (1871–1940), a Protestant unionist leader. Some unionists also felt the decision was unwise and counterproductive to building cross-community relations. Knockmena (a corruption of the townland name, Knockmenagh) was the preferred name nationalists hoped would be used, and which might have attracted broad acceptance on both sides. On 6 July 1965, it
2145-591: The men had driven through the checkpoint. The Craigavon mobile shop killings took place on 28 March 1991, when the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) shot dead three Catholic civilians in the Drumbeg estate. A gunman shot the two teenage girls working in the mobile shop: Eileen Duffy (19) and Katrina Rennie (16). He then forced a male customer, Brian Frizzell (29), to lie on the pavement and shot him also. There are allegations of collusion between
2200-458: The municipal authority, the court buildings and a shopping mall, surrounded by greenfield land. Dr Stephen McKay, director of education at the School of Planning, Architecture & Civil Engineering at Queen's University Belfast, said that the plan to build Craigavon was "flawed from the outset", adding: "The cycle ways, mixed housing and recreational zones were really never going to work in light of
2255-1172: The notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention. If notability cannot be shown, the article is likely to be merged , redirected , or deleted . Find sources: "Craigavon Cowboys" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( September 2024 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this message ) Craigavon Cowboys [REDACTED] Established 1986 Based in Craigavon , Northern Ireland Home stadium Peoples Park, Portadown Head coach Greg Loughran General manager Mark Beattie League Irish American Football League Colors Orange and Navy League titles 1986, 1990, 1992 Shamrock Bowl. 2009 DV8 Champions. Website craigavoncowboys .co .uk The Craigavon Cowboys are an American football team playing in Craigavon , who play in
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2310-724: The past. It was decided to keep the league format the same. The same teams would compete in the same divisions, with the exception of the Dublin Rhinos, a spin-off from the Dublin Dragons, who would replace the Dragons in the IAFL Central. The league for 2008 looked like this: As of 2008, the Development League (DV8) consisted of the following teams: It was decided to continue running the DV-8's league, where development teams could learn and improve on
2365-502: The planners the ability to easily increase the number of lanes if it became necessary. Electricity and other cables were placed underground and street lighting was standard throughout. The planners clustered the housing developments around small 'village centres' with associated retail space, leisure facilities, post offices, primary schools, pharmacies, community centres and other civic amenities. All estates were built with security in mind, with one vehicle entry/exit point. Single-use zoning
2420-534: The population as an arch-bigot is something that ought to be abhorred." Problems began to come to light when it emerged that some housing estates had been built with materials and techniques that had not been fully tested, with the result that insulation, sound-proofing and durability were lacking. This was compounded by the outbreak of ' the Troubles ' in the late 1960s, which resulted in sectarian violence and segregation. Investment into Northern Ireland dried up and emigration rose. The Craigavon Development Commission
2475-424: The southeastern shore of Lough Neagh . The surrounding settlements (listed clockwise) are Aghacommon (north), Lurgan (northeast), Corcreeny (east), Bleary (southeast) and Portadown (southwest). It is separated from these surrounding settlements mostly by fields. Craigavon is built beside two artificial lakes called Craigavon Lakes. The Portadown–Lurgan railway line runs between the two lakes, and further north
2530-518: The ten sides who contested the 2011 season. The regular was due to start in late February, which was earlier than in previous years. It was due to conclude on 10 June. The playoffs and Shamrock Bowl took place from mid June to mid July. The big change in 2012 was that the structure was changed from 3 regional divisions to 2 regional divisions – IAFL North and IAFL South. These divisions had 5 and 6 teams respectively as opposed to either 3 or 4 under last years format. The top team in each division hosted
2585-435: The top four teams would go to the playoffs in which the number 1 seeded team would face the number 4 seeded team, and the number 2 seeded team would face the number 2 seeded team. both winners would then play in the shamrock bowl. the league looks like this: The Development League (DV8) consists of the following teams. The 2010 IAFL season returned to the divisional format. There were an unprecedented number of teams competing
2640-615: The wildcard game and set up a play-off tie with the Dublin Rebels , strongly fancied to retain the Shamrock Bowl for the 5th consecutive time. Cork won a close-fought 8–6 victory and secured their first bowl appearance against UL Vikings , who beat the Belfast Bulls 44–2 to set the stage for the first ever all- Munster Shamrock Bowl. The UL Vikings won a close game 22–14 to win Shamrock Bowl XXI and claim their first ever title. An AGM, held on 25 November 2007, decided
2695-676: Was planned as a 'new city' for Northern Ireland that would mirror towns such as Cumbernauld and, later, Milton Keynes in Great Britain . It was conceived as a linear city that would link the towns of Lurgan and Portadown to create a single urban area and identity. The argument for a new town was based on projections indicating population increases over the following decades that would require large-scale house building. Similar projects successfully attracting economic growth had been successfully completed in Great Britain, so it
2750-648: Was 72,301. Of these: On Census Day (27 March 2011) the usually resident population of Craigavon Urban Area including Aghacommon was 64,323 accounting for 3.55% of the NI total. Of these: On Census Day 27 March 2011, in Craigavon District Electoral Area, considering the population aged 3 years old and over: Craigavon has a number of schools. There are also plans to build a Southern Regional College campus beside Craigavon Lake. The plans have met opposition from some locals, as it would involve
2805-530: Was an Irish selection against a visiting high school team – Mount St. Josephs from Maryland USA. In 2001, the Carrickfergus Knights, Dublin Dragons, Dublin Rebels and University of Limerick Vikings played a full league season of football. The Dublin Rebels defeated the Carrickfergus Knights in Shamrock Bowl XV, which was played in Carrickfergus. All four teams participated in the reformation of
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#17327869943152860-480: Was announced that the new city would be named Craigavon after Craig. A noted nationalist, Joseph Connellan, interrupted the announcement with the comment, "A Protestant city for a Protestant people". Irish Labour MP Gerry Fitt described the naming of the new city as "a calculated insult" and Nationalist MP for East Tyrone Austin Currie said "To call this new city after someone who is looked upon by over one-third of
2915-551: Was in some ways a symbol of Northern Ireland as both modern and a part of the British mainstream. The Craigavon Development Commission was appointed in October 1965 to develop the 'new city'. About 6,000 acres of land between Lurgan and Portadown was vested from farmers at £6 an acre. Several reasons have been suggested for the suitability of the site including the existing population centres, industrial base, nearness to Belfast and
2970-441: Was part of the design; there was a total separation of industrial land-use from all other uses. Craigavon was designed to be a very child-friendly environment with small playgrounds dotted throughout the residential areas. There was an emphasis on providing green space in the housing estates and safe paths to cycle on. National Cycle Route 9 passes through the town. The new town was also provided with many civic amenities including
3025-596: Was wound up in 1973 and Craigavon Borough Council created. The area's main employer, Goodyear , had a large fan-belt factory in the Silverwood industrial estate, and at the time it was Europe's largest factory. However, the plant failed to make money on a consistent basis, and had to shut in 1983. Consequently, about half of what was planned was never built, and of what was built, some had to be demolished after becoming empty and derelict. The area designated as Craigavon 'city centre', for much of this time contained only
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