Ice hockey in Ireland did not gain popularity until the 1980s when the game's supporters began to form new teams. Much of the activity took place in Dublin. The first official game took place on April 21, 1982 between the Dublin Stags and the Liverpool Leopards of England with the former winning by an 11-7 score. In 1999 Ireland made it's IIHF debut playing in the European Junior Championships Divison 2.
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