Dublin buzzes in preparation for Notre Dame-Navy

Today’s game in Dublin between Navy and Notre Dame has brought an estimated 35,000 Americans to the Irish capital for a road game like no other, and the novelty of the event has captured the Irish imagination. The U.S. Navy docked an amphibious-assault warship in Dublin and its fans have rallied in the city’s central park, St. Stephen’s Green. The night-before Notre Dame pep rally is being broadcast live on Irish state TV, followed by an open-air Catholic Mass from inside the grounds of Dublin Castle. There’s also a game to be played at Ireland’s gleaming new Aviva Stadium, a 50,000-seat venue normally home to Ireland’s national soccer and rugby teams, which has experienced the first ticket sellout in its 2-year existence. – AP