Notre Dame's Happy Returns

The University of Notre Dames connection with Ireland has been entrenched in Notre Dames heritage and identity since the founding of the university in 1842. The university is also closely associated with Ireland through its renowned football team, the Fighting Irish. When some thirty-five thousand Americans descended on Dublin, Ireland, for the Emerald Isle Classic football game between Notre Dame and Navy (played on September 1, 2012) at Aviva Stadium, the relationship between Notre Dame and the land and its people was celebrated throughout Dublin and the rest of Ireland. Now the allure of both Ireland and the Emerald Isle Classic football game are brought together in Notre Dames Happy Returns: Dublin, the Experience, the Game. Senior University Photographer Matt Cashore took thousands of photographs for this book, and has selected nearly two hundred of his favorite shots for this large-format collection, capturing the sights, historic places, and cultural riches that make Ireland special for fans of the Fighting Irish. Woven together with brief cultural and historical captions by Brian Conchubhair and Susan Mullen Guibert, Notre Dames Happy Returns contains dozens of full-page photographs of Irelands capital city. Ranging from art and architecture to spectacular views of Dublin Castle, Saint Patricks Cathedral, Trinity College, Casino Marino, Saint Stephens Green, shops, pubs, and other notable landmarks, the photographs capture the mythical attraction of one of Europes most vibrant cities and offer readers a glimpse of its rich history. The photographs and text also highlight the universitys commitment to scholarship through the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, Notre Dames Catholic tradition of service in Ireland, and the extraordinary beauty of the countryside beyond Dublin. In addition, the book explores the introduction of American football in Ireland and Notre Dames role in elevating the sport there, and contains a special section on the 2012 Notre DameNavy game in Dublin. As travel guide, sports book, and lush photographic essay all in one, Notre Dames Happy Returns is a must have for those who attended the Notre DameNavy game in Aviva Stadium as well as for all Notre Dame football fans. It will also be of interest to graduates, subway alumni, members of the Notre Dame family, and university supporters for whom Ireland is a spiritual and ancestral home.