Edwin was born and raised in the Emerald Isle, and spent the first third of his life there, he finds it very different now to how it was then.

The Celtic Tiger has transformed the country into an almost modern economic miracle. The incredible development of Dublin, and other Irish cities such as Cork, Galway and Limerick, has been nothing less than stunning. Emigration stopped and immigration started. Thousands of people returned home, followed by Latvians, Croatians, Nigerians, and Zimbabweans to give Ireland a more worldly feel about it. The transformation of the country has been amazing.

This transformation has been mirrored on the sports field.  Ireland is now a recognised world soccer power. The concentration of development on junior players has had significant effect on the success of senior sports players.

Top honours go to Brian O'Driscoll, 2005 Lions Captain, Padraig Harrington, one of the top 10 golfers in the world, and Darren Clarke, also amongst the top golfers.

There is now one national tourist board covering north and south. We are moving closer to a more harmoniously joined economic country.  Today it is cool to be Irish and, thanks to the likes of U2, The Corrs and Boyzone, evocative images of Ireland now pervade popular culture across the globe.

The Ireland of the new millennium is a modern, progressive European nation whose economy is booming, but it is not only Irish eyes that are smiling as more and more tourists discover Ireland for themselves.

Dublin is undoubtedly the spiritual and cultural heart of the Emerald Isle. Crowding around the banks of the murky River Liffey, the city, like the country, is bound in rich layers of history, back to the days when Celtic tribes wandered the peat bogs, to the present that sees the city overflowing with trendy bars and nightclubs.

Elsewhere, the cities of Cork, Galway and Limerick boast their own charms, but it is out in the rolling countryside that you can unearth the idyllic Ireland of the movies, places that seem a million miles away from the tourist maelstrom of Dublin.

For many sports, Ireland has always been one country. Football is the major exception. One of the most pleasing aspects of our business in recent years has been the great success of the tours which went into Northern Ireland. It is a tribute to them, and to their outstanding hosts. Enjoy reading about Ireland's four main cities and what they have to offer.

• Aer Lingus ~ to Dublin, Cork and Shannon from London Heathrow; to Dublin from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, and Bristol; to Shannon from London Heathrow; and to Cork from Birmingham.
• British Airways ~ to Dublin from Gatwick.
• Bmi ~ to Dublin from London Heathrow, Inverness, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Leeds; to Cork from London Heathrow, Leeds, Glasgow, and Edinburgh; and to Belfast from London Heathrow and Inverness.  
• bmibaby ~ to Cork from Durham, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff; to Dublin from London Heathrow; to Knock from Durham, Manchester and Birmingham; to Belfast City from London Heathrow; and to Belfast International from Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham and Cardiff.
• Loganair ~ to Cork from Glasgow.
• Ryanair ~ to Dublin from 18 airports all over the UK; to Cork from Liverpool, Gatwick and Stansted; to Shannon from Bournemouth, Manchester, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Stansted, Gatwick and Luton; to Kerry from Liverpool and Stansted; to Knock from Gatwick, Luton and Stansted; and to Derry from East Midlands, Liverpool and Stansted.

Foynes was the original flying boat seaport from where seaplanes took off from Europe to cross the Atlantic. From here, Shannon Airport became a natural successor as the last European airport.

Major sports for touring are to Northern Ireland are Rugby and Hockey. Netball, Football and Cricket are also available.  In Belfast, very good football, hockey, netball and rugby throughout the province is available at all levels.

In the Republic of Ireland, Rugby and girls hockey are the principal sports for touring.  There is a limited amount of Netball, some Football and Cricket in Cork and Dublin.  We arrange all games ourselves directly with schools and clubs having built up an unrivalled set of personal contacts. Hockey is also available in Galway and Limerick. 

Limerick was always a sleepy little city on the River Shannon, and a significant place in the annals of Ireland history.  Then it began to develop in all aspects but particularly in sport. The massive development of Europe's best sports centre contributed to that, and now offers very good fixtures for football and rugby, as well as hockey, and to a lesser extent, cricket.

You'll get a very warm welcome and equally good hospitality. An international example is when the Irish bowled out the West Indies for a total of 18 in an international cricket match. Rumour has it that the West Indians were introduced to Poteen the night before the game  ~  Poteen is a native Irish brew distilled from potatoes.

Irrespective of wherever you are, please find the time to attend a Gaelic Football of Hurling match. These are the traditional Irish male games and are extremely exciting and dangerous. The female stick game is called Camogie.

Testimonial:  "The matches were just right.  One was a classic - brutal and full of magic!  The tour was a great success for pupils, parents and staff."  Tour Manager

 

The 'Celtic Tiger' has seen a dramatic expansion in hotel and hostel accommodation throughout the city.  The business and tourist demand has been fantastic which means it is not cheap. You should also be careful of where you stay as lack of reasonably price land has forced developers into areas which have not always been particularly tourist orientated especially hostels where there are some excellent ones in Ireland, along with some not quite so well located. As an example, a couple of new quality hostels over the past years have substantially increased the range of accommodation available in Cork.
 
As most visitors come in the summer, and businessmen from Monday to Friday, prices for off-season weekend occupancy are attractive. As with most countries, we seek out the hotels which need business between September to May to obtain the most cost effective rates. There is a range of moderately priced good hotels who have looked after our groups over many years in all the major cities, of Ireland.  In a number of outlying  towns, we look to use hotels that have leisure facilities.

Limerick was always a sleepy little city on the River Shannon which a significant historical place in the annals of Ireland.  Suddenly, it began to develop in all aspects but particularly in sport. The massive development of Europe's best sports centre at Limerick University contributed to that. It has excellent Halls of Residence which are particularly suitable for our summer camps.