Pittsburgh Steelers star player related to All-Ireland winning Limerick hurler

ONE OF the Pittsburgh Steelers star players is related to a Limerick All-Ireland hurling winner, the Leader can reveal.

Defensive tackle Dean Lowry was due to play for the Steelers in Croke Park on Sunday just like his cousin Jim Allis for Limerick in 1973. Jim, Willie Moore and Jim O’Donnell were three Doon men on the panel of the Limerick team that famously beat Kilkenny in the pouring rain.

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Sadly, Dean’s dream was shattered when he sustained an ACL injury during a training camp practice in August. It is an injury all too familiar to Limerick hurlers. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the history making encounter by three points. It is not known if Dean travelled over to Ireland for the game or continued his rehab in Pittsburgh.

Dean’s grandmother Margaret Lowry (née O’Donnell), from Chicago, was the person who tracked down her long lost relatives in Doon. Margaret and Jim Allis’ mother, Nora, are first cousins. 

Margaret, who has sadly passed away, visited Ireland to rekindle the connection after researching her Irish ancestry.

Dean’s uncle Tom Lowry also visited County Limerick on a number of occasions to meet his cousins but he too has gone to his eternal reward.

Tom invited members of the Allis family to Chicago in 2005 to meet their American cousins with city councillor Olivia O’Sullivan and her mum Kitty (née Allis) heading Stateside.

The Allis sporting genes are strong as Jim’s (above) son Conor (below) and cousin, George, also played in Croke Park.

George (below) played for Limerick in the All-Ireland Minor Hurling Final in 2005 while Conor came on as a sub during the senior All-Ireland semi-final between Limerick and Clare in 2013. 

Their American cousin Dean, who is six foot six inches tall and weighs over 21 stone, would certainly have done a job on the edge of the square for 2024 county champions Doon and Limerick.

The 31-year-old 10-year NFL veteran was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft.

In July 2019, Dean signed a three-year, $20.325 million contract extension with the Packers. He moved to the Minnesota Vikings in 2023 before joining the Pittsburgh Steelers last year.

Dean is highly-respected in the NFL as a superb defensive lineman known for his strength, tackling and experience.

He posted a picture on Instagram in August, explaining the extent of his injury and how he’s processing it.

“During a training camp practice last week I sustained an ACL injury that will likely end my season,” he wrote. 

“Hard to comprehend the thoughts and emotions I have felt since then. Heartbroken I won’t get to fully experience the highs and lows of an NFL season with a group I love going to work with. The risks associated with this game and the unique aspect of a football team are what make this sport like no other...”

It also ended his chance of playing in Croke Park just like his Doon cousins.

Dean’s Allis relations were all excited that he might play in Croke Park but sadly that didn’t materialise and they wish him well in his recovery.