American football back in Dublin in 2016

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has announced an American colleges football match will take place in the Aviva Stadium in 2016.

The match, between Boston College and Georgia Tech, will be held on Saturday, September 3 and broadcast on ESPN.

Date for your diary: Sep.3rd, 2016 - 25,000 visitors&many Irish will watch @BostonCollege play @GeorgiaTech in Dublin pic.twitter.com/Lo48Hhu2pq

— Enda Kenny (@EndaKennyTD) June 4, 2015

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, welcomed the announcement.

“The Boston College v Georgia Tech game at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium in September 2016 will provide a further, very welcome boost for tourism from the United States next year, with up to 25,000 people expected to travel here from the US and Europe," he said.

'Go Long!' This afternoon @EndaKennyTD Announced The Launch Of @cfbireland College Football Classic! @NFLIreland pic.twitter.com/2vZaJdPLpk

— Inpho Photography (@Inphosports) June 4, 2015

"It will undoubtedly be another wonderful college football event for Dublin, bringing wider benefits to the island as a whole.

“ Sports-related tourism has emerged as a very significant element of the global travel business in recent years and the Aer Lingus College Football Classic will be another wonderful opportunity to showcase Dublin and Ireland, and more generally the many attractions that the island of Ireland offers as a holiday destination.”

Penn State played University of Central Florida in August 2014.

It follows the decision of the GAA not to host an American football game in 2016, following last summer’s match between Penn State and University of Central Florida in Croke Park.

GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghail said he didn’t think a match would be of “promotional value” or be “financially worthwhile to the GAA”.