A Surprise Call, A Hometown Mural And A Packers Dream In Ireland

You couldn't say that being named the Green Bay Packers' International Fan of the Year left Stephen O'Brien speechless. Surprised, yes, but never speechless when it comes to talking about the Packers.

O'Brien, who lives in Arklow, County Wicklow, Ireland, is the founder and majordomo of the U.K. & Irish Packers Group. Launched in 2013, it might be the largest Packers fan club in Europe. O'Brien's podcast certainly is the largest Packers podcast and possibly second-largest NFL podcast in the U.K.

The Packers invited O'Brien to be on one of their podcasts, then sprang it on him that he was their International Fan of the Year.

"It was complete trickery and thievery," he said, not nearly as offended as that sounds. "I think I’ve only been surprised in my life twice. One by a surprise birthday party and that one. As an Irishman, I’m not used to sharing emotions and being surprised. We basically have two emotions, that’s alive, awake and asleep."

Each NFL team names an International Fan of the Year. They'll attend the 2026 NFL Draft April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, where the Ultimate International Fan of the Year is named. O'Brien will get to announce a Packers' pick from the draft stage, as did last year's international fan, Matthias Kraus of Germany, at the draft in Green Bay.

"I know [the player I name is] going, ‘Why is this tiny little Irishman calling my name? I’ve worked my butt off for this and I’ve got this guy who I don’t even understand [saying] my own name in an Irish accent," O'Brien said.

The Packers don't have a first-round pick this year because of the trade with Dallas for Micah Parsons, which means O'Brien effectively will name a higher pick, so far as the Packers are concerned. "I’m going to try to not make it all about me or Ireland, and focus on the player who’s been drafted," he said.

U.K. & Irish Packers Group about fandom, not profit

Joining the U.K. & Irish Packers Group is easy. You just fill out a form and get a membership number, and no fees. Some fans can't be bothered to do that, but are welcome to hang out on the Facebook page or X (previously Twitter). The club has 2,500 members, 16,500 Facebook/Instagram followers and 14,000 X followers.

"I think part of our appeal is the fact that it’s not monetized, we don’t charge for membership," O'Brien said. "We have people come on the annual tour, which sells out every single year, and it’s a healthy mix of podcast listeners and fans and signed-up members, but there’s always a couple who did not know what U.K. Packers was and just discovered it."

O'Brien is a familiar sight around Lambeau, at least as familiar as you can be when you live more than 3,500 miles away. He's visited Lambeau the past 10 years, usually with a group of fans in tow, not all of whom are Packers fans.

"Last year when we went to see the Eagles, there was an Eagles fan, a single Eagles fan on a tour of Cheeseheads," he said. "It was just simply because he would rather have went to Lambeau Field because of the stadium and the history and it being the center point; John Madden’s favorite stadium. "

Telling O'Brien he was their fan of the year wasn't the Packers' only surprise. He is prominently featured in a mural in his hometown.

"I still don’t think I’ve processed it to be honest, and that’s because in my hometown [of Arklow], two minutes from where I live, there’s a giant mural of my face, which is just … it’s very hard to get my head around," he said. "That’s an incredible likeness of me, apart from the fact that I am 5-foot-something and the mural is 20-foot-something. It’s so like the Packers to do something like that."

Murals don't normally happen for ordinary Joes

When his wife first showed him a phone-photo of the mural, he didn't believe it. He told her it had to be an A.I. creation, because ordinary Joes don't get that treatment unless it's a wanted poster.

"For you to have a picture of yourself on a wall, the only people who get that in Ireland are Irish folk heroes, people who have done incredible things. I would not put myself in the category. I’m going to have to try the rest of my life to live up to the mural that’s on the wall in my hometown."

Being a Packers fan and heading the fan group is not a casual hobby for O'Brien, who also has a full-time job and a wife and three sons.

"It is one of the best honors of my life because, unfortunately for my family and friends who aren’t interested in the Packers, I live and breath this stuff. It’s all I do when I’m not doing my ordinary job. I’m thinking about content and Packers and players and all this type of stuff," he said.

More: UK and Irish fans love being part of the Packers' family

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One reason O'Brien has not tried to make money off the fan group is because he thinks it would change his approach. Decisions would be based on making money as much as on being a passionate fan.

"I don’t see myself making a full-time job out of this anytime soon. I don’t have really any appetite to do it," he said. "I don’t know if the fans would appreciate someone who was doing it and trying to earn a buck off the fact they’re a fan. So, I’m just absolutely living the dream of keeping my regular job and then being able to delve into this and just keep that fire and passion and grow the fans and to be able to sit at a meet up with people ... and we're just here because we’re fans. We’re not here because it’s a business."

And O'Brien loves being with other fans. He recalled a watch party for the game against the Chicago Bears when it appeared the Bears would win on a last-second field goal, but the Packers blocked the kick.

"The sheer euphoria of sharing that moment in that room ... that’s a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I’ve bought watches, I’ve bought other material things that I can't even remember what they are now, but moments like that will stick with me forever," he said. "It really drives home what life is all about. It’s all about relationships, and I mean that as a dad of three sons."

Fan club started because O'Brien wanted to connect with people

O'Brien said balancing the fan club with his full-time job and his family has matured him.

"I'm certainly a different man than I was when I started 13 years ago, that's for sure," O'Brien said. "It's shown me that this involves late hours, expensive equipment, compromising on going out and having fun with friends, to deliver content. I don't for instance think I'm a martyr, that's not what I'm saying. It showed me the value of hard work." 

The fan club started because he wanted to connect with people. It's led to a lot of opportunities, including holding two watch parties in London when the Packers played there in 2022 and meeting Packers players and executives, not to mention hundreds of like-minded fans, and now this.

"I know this is a dream and I’ll wake up, but I don’t want to wake up just yet," he said.

Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @RichRymanPG and on Instagram at @rrymanPG.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Packers fandom goes global as Ireland’s O'Brien earns draft spotlight