Thousands of Fighting Irish fans return home from Ireland

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- Over the weekend, Notre Dame football opened its season in none other than Ireland, playing long-time rival Navy. Saturday’s game ended with a 42-3 victory over the Navy.  

But like all good things, it must come to an end, and now, thousands of Fighting Irish fans are making their way home.    

From filling the streets of Dublin to filling airport terminals, Fighting Irish fans left their mark on Europe this weekend.    

Over 30,000 Notre Dame fans from the United States made the trip to Ireland for this game, plus 8,000 Navy fans. That’s nearly 40,000 Americans in Ireland this weekend.  

One of those fans who traveled to the Emerald Isle for the game, Brian Markley, says his Irish hosts were so welcoming of the influx of fans pouring into the country.  

“Really accommodating, interested in the game, happy to have us there, they were great hosts,” Markley said. “They wanted to just learn more about what Notre Dame was all about, and the rivalry of Navy, and of course, the respect and tradition of that relationship that Notre Dame and Navy have had for 100 years.”

ABC News reports flights are being delayed all throughout London and the United Kingdom, citing a technical error in the air traffic control system.  

This means Notre Dame fans with layovers in those areas might be getting home later than they hoped.