A probe into the unlawful operation of a drone during the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at the Aviva Stadium last month resulted in Gardaí seizing several electronic items from a Dublin home. The noteworthy confiscation is part of the ongoing investigation regarding an unauthorised drone disturbance at the venue on August 24th, during the College Football Classic 2024 between Georgia Tech and Florida State, which Georgia Tech won 24-21.
Padraic O’Kane, the co-founder and director of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, estimated that the event drew approximately 25,000 American tourists to Dublin. The sell-out match had an estimated attendance of 47,500, with an additional four million global viewers.
This series of games started in 1988 with a match between Boston College and Army, and has had a total of eight matches to date, with future games planned between Iowa State and Kansas State, and Pittsburgh and Wisconsin in 2027.
The contentious drone was later found and confiscated by the gardaí. During their investigation, the DMR South Central Detective Units and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau carried out a search of a residential property in Dublin and seized the electronic devices. An official statement from Garda headquarters confirmed a search was executed in a Dublin residence, resulting in the confiscation of multiple electronic items.
In addition to potential legal proceedings, gardaí have warned drone operators to adhere to specific drone regulations, published on the Irish Aviation Authority (iaa) website. An inside look at politics is available on our Inside Politics podcast.