Local American Football side the Dundalk Mavericks have rebranded as the Louth Mavericks.
The change was made to reflect the growing interest in the club from around the county and to help it to continue to grow.
The Mavericks will remain based at Dundalk IT but will now promote the sport throughout Louth.
Chairman Aidan Maguire explained the decision in a message on the club’s website.
It read: “From the early beginnings in the frosty month of November 2012 to this present day, the Dundalk Mavericks have grown from strength to strength, on and off the field.
“From the early practice sessions with just 7 players, Coach Matthews, Mulvihill, Shevlin and Hagan kept going, kept persevering every Sunday, through the coldest of days and the hottest of days, until a squad of over 30 players took to the field on a sunny day in April 2014 against The South Kildare Soldiers for the Mavericks’ very first competitive game.
“Two seasons have passed since then and I believe that The Mavericks have gained the respect of their peers within the league. Within the local Dundalk community The Dundalk Mavericks became a well known sporting name quickly. Not an easy task to do while in the shadow of two great successful teams, Dundalk FC and Dundalk RFC. However, our fan base grew from match to match with attendances reaching up to 140 supporters at times. Great support from a great community for a great new sport.
“It was during our second season that we realised that we had garnered interest from people throughout County Louth. We recruited and signed lads from Drogheda and surrounding areas and in turn, our fan base started growing with people outside Dundalk following and supporting us. This led to what has happened today.
“It is with great honour and excitement that I can inform you that the Dundalk Mavericks are rebranding as the Louth Mavericks. We are still based at the excellent facilities at DKIT, but we now look forward to promoting the great sport of American Football in every part of The Wee County.
“We felt that due to the popularity of the sport and the interest surrounding the Mavericks within Louth, that this was the best road to take for the progression of the club. A club that one day will be a title challenger, a title winner and a great role model for the younger members of our communities.
“Why a Bull Logo? Louth is the land of Irish Folklore, The Brown Bull of Cooley is a story we all grew up with and loved. This bull was a symbol of power in this region, something the Mavericks will become. Secondly, keeping with an American theme, a Maverick is an unbranded calf on a ranch.
“We are still the same team but we are growing as a group with the addition of new coaches, new players and new assistants. We look forward to promoting and building our club in every part of Louth.
“At this moment we are still an 18 years and over kitted American football team. With the continuing growth of the club, we would hope to expand and start up a Louth Maverick Flag Football Team for players 16 years plus in the near future. We will then look to progress into other areas.
“Lastly, we could not have got this far as a club in such a short space of time without support. To all the Maverick players, friends and family, to anyone who assisted the club in anyway, to everyone who came to a training session or played a game for us, to our league opponents over the last two years, to the league body and to our past and present sponsors namely Brubaker’s Bar, Kehoes Bar, Controlsoft Automation Systems, Greene Financial and Lally’s Electrical to name but a few. Also to McNulty Designs for his excellent graphic designs and assistance in the past and during this rebrand. I thank you all for making this happen for us. You are all part of our strong foundation. We promise to do you proud in the future.”
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