$10,000 awarded to two Newry schools as Pittsburgh Steelers touch down

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Visit by the American football team is ahead of the NFL's historic, first-ever regular season game in Ireland

The Pittsburgh Steelers have touched down in Newry to visit the ancestral home of the family which owns the NFL team, and gave a financial boost to two local schools.

St Mary's High School and Newry High School were awarded a donation worth $10,000, jointly funded by the Ireland Funds and the Steelers Charities, to assist with supplies and resources to improve learning and development.

The visit was ahead of the NFL's historic, first-ever regular season game in Ireland, which takes place this coming Sunday when the Steelers face the Minnesota Vikings at Dublin's Croke Park.

The Rooney family, which owns the Steelers, has deep connections to Ireland. The late Steelers chairman Dan Rooney Sr served as U.S Ambassador to Ireland and co-founded the Ireland Funds.

Representatives of the Steelers met with students from the two schools to award a student from each the 'Dan and Patricia Rooney No Mind Left Behind Scholarship'.

The scholarship aims to help and support young people from schools in socially and economically disadvantaged areas to attend university.

Eighteen-year-old Tegan McKibbin, who attended St Mary's High and is now a student at Queens, was awarded one of the scholarships. She told the Irish News: "It's class, it's actually really good. I'm so grateful."

Dan Rooney, grandson to Arthur Rooney and one of the Ireland Funds creators, said it was important to him to make a stop in Newry before a busy weekend ahead.

"This is a full island approach, to connect with all parts of the island," he said.

"Coming to Newry where the Rooneys are from, we feel a strong connection to this town. It's neat to be able to connect to the youth.

"It's a special day. To celebrate education and sport."

Steelers alumni, Super Bowl winner and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Jerome Bettis, said: "Mr Rooney, when he was alive, it was important to him to represent his heritage...to have a regular season game in Ireland.

"It is beyond important for this organisation, because of that history. It's special and shows the commitment the NFL has to Ireland."

Two-time Super Bowl winner and Steelers alumni Ike Taylor said Ireland reminds him of Pittsburgh.

"Downtown Dublin is about to get poppin'. Pittsburgh and Ireland are the same...These are my kind of people," he said, adding: "As long as they (the fans) are going for the Pittsburgh Steelers."