The successful start to the American Football College season by Notre Dame may yet have a further boost for Ireland.
The Indiana side, known as the Fighting Irish have begun their campaign with six straight wins, their best start in a decade and are reaping a massive financial reward as a result.  
In sport, superstition and tradition are powerful motivators and the fact that the team started their season with a game in Dublin may prompt a more regular return in future.
Notre Dame’s appeal is enormous.  They have sold out their 80,000 seat stadium in South Bend on more than 200 consecutive occasions.  This year’s start has also seen them increase sales of merchandise by 76%.
College football is very big business.  If Notre Dame make it to one of the main Bowl finals in early 2013, the minimum payday lift for the college athletic programme will hit more than $6 million (€4.6 million).
Additional sales of fan gear, online engagement with fans in every state and further afield, as well as national appeal to sponsors will rise inexorably and many will put the turn in fortune down to having been to Dublin in August.
The value to Ireland of this year’s pre-season game against Navy was enormous with 30,000 US fans arriving in and the city buzzing for days before and after.
It might not be quite the same if the visit was to be a regular on the sports calendar but there is a vast fan base to tap into and the reward for the Irish economy is well worth the pursuit.
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