Here's why fans at the Nebraska-Northwestern college football game in Dublin got free beer

College football fans watching the Nebraska Cornhuskers take on the Northwestern Wildcats in Ireland got an extra treat after the game kicked off: free beer.

Sometime during the Big Ten match Saturday in Dublin, credit card machines at stadium concession stands were apparently unable to function, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Levy UK + Ireland, Aviva Stadium's catering company, later clarified that the problem was due to a technical issue with their payment provider.

So, vendors started giving away concessions. Food, beer -- all of it gratis as fans were able to return to their seats with an unexpected bounty.

"Nothing is free in Ireland -- but this is!" a fan told the World-Herald.

Video from a Lincoln Journal Star reporter inside the stadium showed fans queuing up in extremely long lines for food and alcohol even before halftime.

Nebraska and Northwestern are facing off in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in their opening game, and both teams spent time in Ireland in the days leading up to the game to practice and participate in cultural events. This is Northwestern football's first game outside the United States.