5 Notre Dame Football Photos for a Friday: The Old Irish Guard

Oct 21, 1995; South Bend, IN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Fighting Irish honor guard in the tunnel during the game against the Southern California Travelers at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images

Notre Dame is getting a new band director for 2026 and beyond in Paul Popiel (who is now on the list of people that can earn the nickname “The Pope”). Popiel takes over for the retiring Dr. Kenneth Dye. The departing director had been at Notre Dame since 1998, and from what I have gathered over the years, was well liked by band members during his 27 years in South Bend. He did, however, take heavy criticism by many students, alumni, and fans over his decision to completely overhaul the Irish Guard in 2014.

You can’t count me as one who has been highly critical of the changes to the Irish Guard, and there’s one part of it that continues to annoy me — but maybe it’s just me. Part of the lore and pageantry of Notre Dame Football in the past was direct involvement by the student body in some very unique ways. One of those ways was painting the helmets gold before gamedays, but with helmet technology and the safety of the athletes in mind — that’s no longer a viable option. Another way was for a handful of student volunteers to try out for the Irish Guard, which was created in large part to be an imposing presence that helped protect the band.

So… here’s five six pics of the old Irish Guard. Enjoy your Friday.