I guess he's a Minndalorian? (ahem)

Image source, inpho

Ben Collins
BBC Sport at Croke Park

NFL executive Peter O’Reilly said this week that the "type of NFL takeover of Dublin and the energy of this city will be unmatched". He wasn't lying, this really does feel like a mini Super Bowl.

There are NFL fans everywhere, along with the colours of Pittsburgh and Minnesota.

Walking through Temple Bar, I heard one local say "this feels weird, seeing Wexford colours everywhere!"

This Englishman knows Wexford play in purple and yellow, like the Vikings... I'm guessing they don't make it to Croke Park very often.

Ross from Pittsburgh is giving short shrift to the reputation of Irish weather.

"I ain't cold, you cold?"

Image source, BBC Sport

Ben Collins
BBC Sport at Croke Park

When the anthems play at Croke Park before kick-off, it will hit different for everyone involved.

For the Irish fans who have longed for the NFL to return after a solitary pre-season game in 1997.

For the league itself, which has shown reverence for being granted the opportunity to play in a historic institution such as Croke Park.

For the fans and players visiting from America, who see this as a bucket-list trip.

And mostly it will hit different for the Rooney family, who have brought one of the NFL's most-storied franchises to their homeland, almost 100 years after their Irish ancestors founded the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Read more about the Rooney family's local ties here.

Image source, Getty Images

Ben Collins
BBC Sport at Croke Park

This was the scene outside many pubs around Dublin today, which have been decked out in the colours of Pittsburgh and Minnesota.

Irish fans have waited many years for the NFL to return to Ireland, and many Americans have waited their whole life to visit the Emerald Isle. They saw today's match-up as the perfect reason to finally make that bucket-list trip.

Croke Park is the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletics Association and hosts the All-Ireland finals in Gaelic football, hurling and camogie – but it has been transformed to accommodate today’s game.

The iconic Hill 16, usually a terrace, has temporary seating installed up behind one of the end zones, giving the place a very different feel.

The capacity for Gaelic games is in excess of 82,000 but today we’re set at c75000 - still 10,000 more than either team is used to playing in front of at their respective home stadia.

Image source, BBC Sport

This will be the first of two consecutive international games for the Vikings who will head for London next week to meet the Browns at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

There's perhaps no better team for such a task though, with Minnesota boasting an NFL-best 100% winning percentage in these fixtures.

All four of their international wins came in London, where they have previously beaten the Jets, Saints Browns and the same Steelers they face this afternoon.

Only the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have played in nine more international contests, have more victories in the series.

Image source, Getty Images

It's not all official merchandise on offer, though.

Alongside the usual half and half scarves, we suspect some of the more entrepreneurial around Croke Park are taking advantage of these teams wearing the traditional colours of counties Wexford (Minnesota) and Kilkenny (Pittsburgh).

Some of that lot is definitely left over from the hurling championship!

Image source, BBC Sport

Ruairi Cunningham
BBC Sport NI at Croke Park

Fair to say there's a strong appetite for merch out there today...

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

When it was confirmed in May that the Vikings would be the Steelers opponents today, Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell said he looked forward to bringing the "best on the planet" to Dublin.

O'Connell was referring to his side's wide receiver Justin Jefferson and the claim is no hyperbole.

The 26-year-old, who was drafted in the first-round out of LSU in 2020, has been voted All-Pro in each of his first four seasons in the league.

There's no doubt he'll be one player the fans are keen to see up close this afternoon and Jefferson has promised there'll be an addition to his trademark 'Griddy' celebration should he find the endzone in Dublin.

When it was put to him in his media conference that he could rebrand his dance as the 'O'Griddy' on this occasion, he replied: "I might take that actually."

It feels like there's a Super Bowl winner everywhere you look in Dublin this week.

We've had Jerome Bettis in Belfast, Ike Taylor in Newry and Jason Kelce is wandering around down there now.

That Ireland rugby jersey surely will prove popular with the locals.

Image source, Inpho

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Croke Park

Upcycling really is all the rage these days.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

While all eyes are on this historic fixture in Croke Park to start the week four slate, it's a huge day for another from these shores in the 18:00 BST window too.

Swatragh's Jude McAtamney was elevated to the New York Giants active roster last night after injury to Graham Gano and will be the team's starting kicker against the Los Angeles Chargers.

This will be the second regular-season game for the former Gaelic footballer who kicked a pair of extra-points against the Washington Commanders in November last year.

BBC Sport NI's Thomas Niblock went across to meet him last year.

Read more here.

The famous Terrible Towels are much in evidence today. We passed plenty of the Steelers faithful with them tucked in their belts en route to Croke Park – and there’s a special official design issued today complete with the colours of the Irish flag.

Terrible Towels have made it to the top of Everest and even onto the International Space Station!

Conceived 50 years ago by the broadcaster Myron Cope as a way of firing up the crowd ahead of a play-off match, the yellow and black tea towel is now a staple of the Steelers' matchday, swirled vigorously by fans above their heads to rally the team.

Image source, Getty Images

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Croke Park

A joy on days like today for the NFL nerds among us is the variety of jerseys on show.

This certainly feels more partisan than some London games with Steelers and Vikings colours in the overwhelming majority.

Pittsburgh through the eras is well represented and we spotted fans of Franco Harris, 'Mean' Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Jerome Bettis, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu on the walk to the stadium.

The most left-field fashion choice though? A Cleveland Browns Johnny Manziel #2 jersey.

While history will be made this afternoon with what is a first ever regular-season game in Dublin, Croke Park has hosted the NFL, and indeed the Pittsburgh Steelers, before.

In July 1997 a pre-season contest dubbed the 'American Bowl' came to these shores.

A fixture driven by Dan M. Rooney's desire to bring his team back to his ancestral homeland, the story goes that the team owner was so intent on victory that head coach Bill Cowher left his starters in the game until he was sure the win had been secured.

Image source, Inpho

Image source, Inpho

Image source, Inpho

Image source, Inpho

Ruairi Cunningham
BBC Sport NI at Croke Park

It certainly looks like a Steelers home game here in Dublin so far!

Image source, Inpho

We are one hour away from kick-off in the first ever NFL regular season to be played in Dublin!

The Irish capital becomes just the fourth European city to host such a game, after London, Frankfurt and Munich - Madrid and Berlin will join this exclusive club in November.

We'll bring you live text commentary right here from the historic fixture that starts a week four of the NFL season.

The action doesn't stop there either with 11 games kicking off at 18:00 BST before coverage of the Baltimore Ravens' trip to Kansas City Chiefs from 21:00 on 5 Sports Xtra.

Settle in for a big day!

Image source, BBC Sport