Our tour this year was a three night trip to Galway on the west cost of Ireland with games to be played against two local team, Galway Corinthians & Our Lady's Boys Club (OLBC). Our party was made up of 34 club members of which 32 where players.

We flew into Knock airport on Friday, 18th March 2005, and transferred by coach to Galway and to Barnacles Hostel, our base for the next three nights. Since checking in all 34 of us at one time would have been chaotic, Pig, our Tour Manager, suggested we check in in smaller groups and those that were waiting could have a quick pint in the pub opposite called The Quays. With the exception of playing a game of rugby and the infrequent trip back to bed or to the local chippy, we never left that pub again (the bar staff and management are currently holidaying in Barbados courtesy of "The Mighty Ath").

Our first encounter with the locals was immediate. We were accosted by a tinker girl who invited us all to a back street pub. Given the look of her we politely demurred and soon she was doing press-ups in the middle of the street. Words fail me!

During the three nights we met an excellent array of Irish, American and German girls, an American Female Soccer team, a Welsh Choirs and many more besides. Everyone (with perhaps a few very minor exceptions) were very pleased to meet us and it appears we have made appearances on web sites on the other side of the Atlantic.

We will be adding brief match reports as soon as the respective team captains have composed them, and the photo album, which is currently rather small, will expand over the next week or so as more photos are developed, uncovered and e-mailed from parties abroad who shall remain nameless.

Finally I'd like to thank the following:
Francis Byrne of Galway Corinthians for arranging our 1st XV fixture; Eleanor & Michael Grealish of OLBC for arranging our 2nd XV fixture and for offering our whole touring party such excellent hospitality at The Crows pub after our games. Everyone was overwhelmed by the generosity and hospitality shown there; Brendan, our stand in referee for the OLBC fixture. I think it was only his second go at refereeing and, with an interesting interpretation of kickoffs and an overly generous idea of how a try is scored, he made the game both possible and hugely enjoyable; to the staff of Barnacles for their tolerant attitude to nakedness and coat hangers; to Pig, our Tour Manager, for arranging this excellent tour and to Pat MacGrill, who assisted Pig in the fund raising and arranging the plaques for our opposition (and numerous other tasks).

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