Ireland Prime Minister Enda Kenny "This is great news for Irish tourism and the economy; in 2012 and again last year, we witnessed a huge surge of US visitors to our shores for the Emerald Isle Classic and the Croke Park Classic and I have no doubt, particularly given Boston College's close links with this country, we will see another spectacular success in 2016. Sports tourism and events like this College Football game have become increasingly important as we build and develop our tourism industry and I want to thank Boston College President Fr. William Leahy for his support in making this game a reality." Aer Lingus Chief Executive Stephen Kavanagh "We are very proud to partner with Boston College and Georgia Tech for the Football Classic in 2016. Aer Lingus operates three daily services from Boston connecting to Ireland and beyond and we are delighted to support our local team. 2016 is a very special year for Aer Lingus as we will celebrate our 80 th anniversary.