G.I.F.T. 2026 proved to be a memory that will remain in the hearts and minds of both school communities, and those of the Irish!
For one unforgettable week in late August, Grapevine Faith Christian School of Grapevine, Texas and Ambassador Christian School of Huntersville, North Carolina crossed the Atlantic and turned Dublin into their home. They joined Global Football for G.I.F.T. 2026, the 7th such showcase in Ireland, and filled the Emerald Isle with Friday Night Lights energy, volleyball rallies, cheer and dance, a roaring drum line, and the kind of laughter and learning that only comes from traveling together globally.
Both schools brought football and volleyball played with high intensity. Grapevine Faith also brought a combined Cheer and Dance squad and their drum line; Ambassador Christian brought their engaging cheer team. Together they trained on Irish grass and turf, toured castles and cathedrals, learned Gaelic sports, packed Energia Park, and cheered together at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. The scoreboard told two stories. Grapevine Faith volleyball defeated Ambassador Christian with a dramatic final score, then went through the Irish squads they met. Ambassador Christian football outlasted Grapevine Faith 58–34 in a hotly contested American football match in a legendary south Dublin rugby stadium. Everywhere they went the week belonged to both programs.
The trip opened at Trinity College with a Global Football x Trench U American Football clinic for locals. Grapevine Faith arrived next and went straight into Gaelic games—hurling and football—before the first practices and dinners as a group. Ambassador Christian’s arrival the next day added to the spectacle. While one side practiced, the other discovered Dublin: a Viking Splash tour from Georgian streets into the river Liffey, lunch with a dockside view, and free time in the city center. Maynooth University Campus started to feel like home as it has for 230 years.
The next day split the groups in the best way. One school’s groups headed for Howth, lunch at the Abbey Tavern, then Malahide Castle and Gardens. The other went to Trinity College’s library and the Book of Kells. By late afternoon both programs met in Merrion Square for a classic pep rally—cheer and dance, drum line, flags, and the first public roar of the week. Dinner was enjoyed in historic Pugin Hall at Maynooth. Before leaving, both teams later toured the cathedral, which was a highlight for many.
Friday Game Day was what the week, and months of preparation had been building toward. Volleyball opened the day and set the tone, when Grapevine Faith dramatically defeated Ambassador Christian with clean swings, loud sideline support from the football teams, and the satisfaction of representing their schools against new friends on a new continent. Cheer and dance filled the spaces between points. Then everyone came together at Energia Park along with the growing number of Irish gridiron fans.
G.I.F.T. American Football put Grapevine Faith against Ambassador Christian on the Energia Park turf, with the Grapevine Faith drum line keeping four quarters rocking inside a rugby stadium. Ambassador Christian came out flying and defeated a gutty Grapevine Faith team in a high-scoring showcase that gave Dublin a full helping of Texas vs North Carolina football one day before Texas Christian University and University of North Carolina met at Aviva Stadium. Flag football was intertwined, then a traditional Irish night of dance and song that capped the longest day—a Friday none of them will forget.
Saturday saw the players, coaches and staff march to Aviva Stadium alongside the colorful bands of TCU and UNC, following the traditional G.I.F.T. Awards ceremony at RDS Concert Hall. The group was also highlighted during the college game, as our student athletes proudly held the flags of USA and Ireland in the special pregame ceremonies. Team captains and coaches of the respective programs were honored on the field towards the conclusion of the first quarter. On Sunday, Ambassador Christian headed home, while Grapevine Faith went north to Belfast for a special church service and community social with the local kids.
G.I.F.T. 2026 proved to be a memory that will remain in the hearts and minds of both school communities, and those of the Irish!
